NEO-M8U provides independent ubiquitous location tracking

u-blox announced the launch of the NEO-M8U, the industry's first wireless 3D dead reckoning (UDR) module.

The NEO-M8U combines a built-in 3D gyro/accelerometer with multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo) to provide accurate position tracking even when GNSS signals are weak or unavailable. This is possible without any connection to the vehicle other than power.

The u-blox NEO-M8U module significantly improves positioning accuracy by compensating for the loss of accuracy caused by multiple signals in areas with poor reception, such as between urban skyscrapers, tunnels, and parking lots. For example, in central London, the NEO-M8U is more than three times more accurate than conventional GNSS receivers. Furthermore, the NEO-M8U provides location information immediately upon power-on, without the need to wait for initial position acquisition like standard GNSS receivers.

Easy to develop and install as there is no need to specially mount or connect to the vehicle.

One of the main advantages of the NEO-M8U is the ease of product development and installation. The NEO-M8U looks and operates like a standard GNSS receiver, but it does not require special mounting or connection to a vehicle. Thanks to intelligent sensors and continuous self-calibration capabilities, the NEO-M8U can be installed on a vehicle in any direction.

Another key feature is that it supports real-time updates of up to 20 Hz for smooth navigation operations, as well as high-speed access to sensor output data that enables analysis of driving behavior at the moment of an accident and detection of sudden acceleration.

Andrew Miles, Dead Redemption Product Manager at u-blox, said, "The performance and simplicity of the NEO-M8U will make it a leading product that opens up new use cases for applications such as navigation, vehicle management, road toll collection, usage-based insurance premium calculation, and even 'find-my-car'," adding, "The benefits derived from the 3D accuracy provided by the NEO-M8U will further enhance the performance of vehicle applications in cities composed of high-rise buildings and narrow roads."

The NEO-M8U will be released in early Q2 2016, and the DR function can be implemented by using the existing NEO module as the NEO-M8U module without changing the PCB design.