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Satellite navigation device nets award for ITRI South

The nation’s creativity has again won global acclaim after a ­project by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) South finished second in this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC).

ITRI South, the southern branch of the nonprofit high-tech research facility, took second place with “Shadow Guide” — a guiding solution to help people enjoy their trip. It was one of 289 entries from 18 regions across the globe.

Taiwan alone had 48 entries, or 16.6 percent of the total, the highest participation rate of any country in the competition.

The competition began in the European Community in 2004. Participation was originally limited to EU countries, but Taiwan last year became the first Asian country to join the event.

The competition encourages innovative satellite navigation applications and linking the satellite navigation application services sector to Galileo, the European Satellite Navigation System.

“Shadow Guide” is a wristwatch-sized navigational device with a monitoring capability of up to several kilometers, ITRI said in a statement.

In addition to a single direction display function, it also enables multiple users to communicate with each other.

Chung I-cheng (鍾逸呈), a deputy engineer at ITRI South, said that by using the Galileo satellite free of charge along with FRS (family radio service), the “Shadow Guide” could be used for leisure trips. Integrating the satellite positioning technology reduces the cost of a traditional GSM (global system for mobile communications) navigation system.

The Galileo system’s higher accuracy and wider coverage means it could provide a number of value-added applications and create new industries and job opportunities, the ITRI statement said.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs initiated cooperation and exchange with EU satellite industries in 2006.

The EU began building the Galileo satellite system in 2002, and expects to launch the system in 2013. It will be the world’s third system of its kind after the US’ GPS and the former Soviet Union’s GLONASS.

Apart from the “Shadow ­Project, “ITRI’s Information and Communications Research Laboratories (ICRL) also won the competition’s special topic award among 66 teams with its TravMate. The device helps travelers connect with locals and make new friends.

TravMate integrates satellite positioning and pedestrian navigation technology, ICRL said in a news release. It enables a foreign tourist to access local social networks so that the tourist can interact with local friends and overcome cultural and language barriers and access local services such as dining, accommodation, transportation and recreation.

The special topic race was sponsored by NAVTEQ — the world’s leading Geographic Information Systems data company.
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