July/Aug 2004

A new spin is put on handheld mapping and portable GPS positioning with the launch by Thales Navigation of a device called MobileMapper.

Historically, products in this market have followed one of two routes - emerging either as totally bespoke GPS units, or as generic Windows CE handheld devices with mapping and tracking added on.

MobileMapper falls squarely between the two extremes. It has a built-in GPS receiver and embedded Windows CE .NET, which make it sound like a dedicated device. But the Windows CE capabilities are exposed to users, rather than being hidden. So users can theoretically run CE applications on the device, and developers can create bespoke solutions, using Thales' own developers' kit and application programming interfaces if they want to.

In some respects the device performs like a ruggedised handheld computer. For instance, it can be dropped from 1.5 metres on to concrete, and remains waterproof to IP67 standard when totally immersed in water.

However, it is also unusually well equipped for mobile mapping and GPS location. For instance, it has built-in Bluetooth wireless technology for cable-free connection to devices such as mobile phones and PDAs, and it features a removable SD card memory and field-replaceable battery.

Its piece de resistance is its support for differential GPS, which in theory allows location down to sub-metre accuracy in markets where DGPS is available. Features include 14 parallel GPS channels, and support for both WAAS and EGNOS satellite-based augmentation systems, as well as an external RTCM SC-104 differential correction input.

Whilst MobileMapper's prime applications seem likely to be in GIS data collection and mapping applications, its versatility must make a candidate for wider-ranging applications where highly accurate location and data collection need to be combined.

The MobileMapper will be on show at the GeoSolutions 2004 exhibition at the NEC from 29 to 30 September.