History of the SBAS Programme
Australia first investigated the merits of SBAS in 2011, and New Zealand in 2014. Both studies had a focus solely on aviation use. By 2016, another concerted Australian effort was made, this time covering multiple industry sectors, representing a much wider segment of the economy. As a result, a two year SBAS test-bed was funded with the goal of demonstrating the economic benefits that SBAS would bring to both countries.
In early 2017 the governments of Australia and New Zealand agreed to fund a two year test-bed to evaluate the benefits of an SBAS technology across a number of industry sectors in the region. The highly-successful test-bed ran from 2017 to 2019 and built the case for the governments of both countries to fund an operational SBAS.
Following the SBAS Test-bed Demonstrator Trial, Geoscience Australia produced a suite of informative videos on the Positioning Australia Program, and how the SBAS applies specifically to the agriculture, road, and construction industries. You can view three of these videos below, or access more on the Geoscience YouTube channel:
- SBAS Test-bed project – Precision agriculture
Kondinin Group tested the operational benefits of SBAS for grain growers with a specific focus on operational efficiencies. - SBAS Test-bed project – 3D maps and autonomous cars
HERE Technologies explored the benefits of SBAS for road network mapping and 3D spatial modelling for autonomous vehicles. - SBAS Test-bed project – Construction safety
Position Partners investigated the use of SBAS receivers mounted to workers’ hard hats, arm-bands, and machinery to improve health and safety outcomes and worksite efficiencies.