[Editor: This is the text of a news release from the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA).]
Galileo Helps Barcelona Mobility Service Expand
Prague, 23 May 2017 — When MOTIT, a Barcelona-based electric scooter sharing service that lets users pick up and drop off vehicles wherever and whenever they want, needed a more precise positioning solution, they turned to the European GNSS Agency (GSA). [Link inserted.]
The problem was that the scooters’ embedded GPS receiver lacked the robust positioning performance required to fully function in the city’s narrow roads and dense urban canyons. Without such positioning accuracy, users were unable to easily locate their reserved scooter.
Via GSA funding and market insight, the Horizon 2020 G-MOTIT project designed and developed a Galileo-enabled device that significantly improves MOTIT positioning, availability and reliability.
“Galileo, when used in combination with GPS and other GNSS systems, provides increased availability of satellites and new signals,” says G-MOTIT Project Coordinator Martí Jofre. “All in all, its use has resulted in improved availability, accuracy and reliability and has given us the precise positioning we need to take MOTIT to the next level.”
Market support
As is made clear in the recently published GSA GNSS Market Report, the business opportunities within the GNSS market are huge. To ensure European companies are well-positioned to take full advantage of the many opportunities and to facilitate the market uptake of GNSS, the GSA is committed to providing ongoing market monitoring and financial support to companies like MOTIT.
As a result of this support, 20 MOTIT scooters are now equipped with Galileo-enabled receivers, providing MOTIT users the improved positioning they need to quickly and accurately reserve and find their scooter.
Currently, the G-MOTIT technology is being tested with other mobility services, including electric bike and vehicle sharing initiatives.
About the European GNSS Agency
As an official European Union Regulatory Agency, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) manages public interests related to European GNSS programmes. The GSA’s mission is to support European Union objectives and achieve the highest return on European GNSS investment, in terms of benefits to users and economic growth and competitiveness.
GSA/PR/17/04
For more information:
Donna Reay, GSA Head of Communication
+32 2 298 52 10
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