GPS-Trusting German Trucker Gets Tangled With Swiss Tree
Geneva (AFP) Jul 24, 2007 Swiss council workers had to chop down part of a tree to clear a German truck which got stuck in a narrow dead end because of its driver's blind faith in his onboard navigation system, police said. The 37 year-old driver, who was looking for the factory where he was due to drop off his cargo, ignored several no entry signs to turn into the obviously narrow pedestrian lane in broad daylight, police in the Lucerne region said. "He obstinately followed the female voice of the navigation system and drove another 300 metres (yards) until the lane came to an end," they added. Council workers in the central town of Sempach with chainsaws had to intervene after he tried to reverse out, damaging two lamp posts, a hedge and finally getting the truck stuck in the branches of a cherry tree. The trucker was fined 650 Swiss francs (390 euros, 540 dollars).
Source: Agence France-Presse Related Links the missing link GPS Applications, Technology and Suppliers
Helicopter Flight Trials For EGNOS Paris, France (ESA) Jul 19, 2007 Successful trials have recently been conducted at Lausanne, Switzerland, using the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) to guide a helicopter as it approached and touched down at an emergency medical service landing pad in the city. The adaptable, go-anywhere characteristics of helicopters make them ideal for emergency services, but when visibility is poor their operations are limited by aviation regulations. The accurate position reporting and navigation system integrity checking offered by EGNOS will be a vital service for anywhere, anytime rescue services - as was demonstrated during the trials. |
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