The 'Sky Challenge' was organised by Air Sports Ltd, a New Zealand company which specialises in advanced sports TV technology.
The technology that made 'Sky Challenge' possible was supplied by the Geospatial Research Centre (GRC), a joint venture between The University of Nottingham, the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and Canterbury Development Corporation.
They were able to merge an electronically-generated world with the real world using a combination of satellite navigation technology (GPS, or global positioning system) and inertial navigation system technology (INS).
Dr David Park, a University of Nottingham graduate and Chief Executive Officer of GRC, said: “We’ve been involved with the development of Sky Challenge since July 2007. Our role has been to develop a technology solution that can provide the position and orientation of each of the real aircraft, in real time.
“The high G-forces and extreme manoeuvres of the racing aerobatic aircraft make this a very challenging technical and operational problem. GRC is developing a solution for providing the position and orientation of the aircraft using a combination of satellite navigation and INS technology.
“The INS constantly tracks the position and orientation of the aircraft, while GPS signals are used to correct the INS errors — although getting a GPS signal is not always easy as the aircraft twists and turns through the sky.”
The result of the Sky Challenge was a narrow victory for one of the real pilots — but he was only 1.5 seconds ahead of his virtual rival.
GRC has been developing a positioning and orientation solution called POINT-RT — optimised for fast-moving and highly dynamic air-sports — and is looking forward to realising commercial opportunities for it in 2009.
Other potential applications of the POINT-RT hardware and software being developed by the company include tracking people in buildings via shoe-based sensors, geo-referencing video-mapping systems in cars, and real-time thermal mapping from aircraft.
Founded in 2006, GRC is a New Zealand based company providing research and consultancy services in the fields of sensors and data integration, with particular expertise in positioning and orientation, image analysis, data visualisation and electronics. The growing research team includes over 20 experienced scientists and engineers as well as PhD and graduate students able to support a range of research, development and commercialisation activities.
More information on the 'Sky Challenge' is available at: www.skychallenge.com
More information on GRC is available at: www.grcnz.com
A BBC story showing the pilots in action is at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7651500.stm
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Picture credit: image copyright Air Sports Ltd.
The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 100 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THE) World University Rankings.
It provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain's "only truly global university", it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation – School of Pharmacy).
Its students are much in demand from 'blue-chip' employers. Winners of Students in Free Enterprise for four years in succession, and current holder of UK Graduate of the Year, they are accomplished artists, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, innovators and fundraisers. Nottingham graduates consistently excel in business, the media, the arts and sport. Undergraduate and postgraduate degree completion rates are amongst the highest in the United Kingdom.