TRX Systems Partners with NextNav to Enhance Situational Awareness for First Responders

Rhea-AI Summary

NextNav and TRX Systems have announced an integration enhancing public safety tracking through the NEON 3D Personnel Tracker and NextNav’s Pinnacle Service. This collaboration improves vertical accuracy for first responders operating indoors where GPS is limited. NextNav's Pinnacle service provides Z-axis data exceeding FCC accuracy mandates, covering 90% of buildings over three stories in over 4,400 U.S. cities. A field trial with the Arlington County Fire Department will begin soon, with the goal of launching the integrated solution for enhanced situational awareness by late 2021.

Positive

• Integration enhances vertical tracking accuracy for first responders.
• NextNav’s Pinnacle service provides Z-axis accuracy exceeding FCC standards.
• Field trial with Arlington County Fire Department expected to validate integrated solution for operational use.

Negative

• The merger agreement with Spartacus Acquisition Corporation is pending and subject to customary closing conditions.

TRX’s NEON 3D Personnel Tracker solution integrated with NextNav’s Pinnacle Service increases z-axis reliability for public safety users

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NextNav, a leader in next generation GPS, and TRX Systems, developer of NEON 3D location solutions, today announced the integration of their solutions to more reliably track the vertical location of first responders operating indoors. TRX Systems is leveraging NextNav’s Pinnacle service to complement and enhance the calculated elevation of its NEON Personnel Tracking solution.        

First responders typically operate inside buildings and in other facilities where access to reliable GPS is limited. In these GPS-denied situations, TRX’s NEON Personnel Tracker system calculates the 3D location, including floor level, of responders using patented algorithms that fuse inertial sensor readings, map data and RF constraints to compute the user’s position. By incorporating the locally calibrated, network-based Z-axis data available from NextNav Pinnacle, the two companies intend to deliver even more precise floor level accuracy to the public safety community.

“Location intelligence is a key component in understanding a situation, evaluating risks, and establishing a plan of action for first responders,” said Dan Hight, VP of Business Development and Partnerships at NextNav. “Z-axis has a vital role to play in delivering greater situational awareness and improving incident response times and outcomes. Working closely with TRX Systems, we’ll provide the public safety community with the precise location intelligence needed to protect and save lives.”

NextNav’s Pinnacle vertical location service delivers Z-axis position data that exceeds the FCC mandate for three-meter accuracy. Today, NextNav Pinnacle is available in over 4,400 U.S. cities and towns, covering 90% of buildings over three stories. With its proven Z-axis accuracy and broad urban footprint, Pinnacle is a natural complement for TRX’s NEON solution.

“Tracking first responders with high floor level accuracy improves situational awareness during an incident - leading to a safer operating environment.” said Jeff Kunst, VP of Product at TRX Systems. “NextNav Pinnacle will seamlessly complement the accuracy of TRX’s NEON solution and help to better protect frontline personnel.”

TRX was recently awarded a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cooperative agreement for demonstration and testing of its NEON Personnel Tracker solution. TRX is partnering with Arlington County Fire Department (Virginia) to conduct an eight-month field trial that exercises the integrated solution – TRX NEON and NextNav Pinnacle – in a fully operational environment. Upon completion, TRX expects to launch the combined solution across many customer deployments for situational awareness among first responders, security personnel and industrial workers.

“The ability to track first responders while they’re operating indoors, and do it accurately, is mission critical to the public safety community,” said David Povlitz, Fire Chief of the Arlington County Fire Department. “Getting the vertical positioning right is especially important and challenging. We are excited to participate in this field trial and believe the work being done between TRX, NextNav, and the ACFD will save the lives of first responders.”

The partnership builds on NextNav’s extensive collaboration across the public safety community. Earlier this year, Pinnacle was recently selected by FirstNet, Built with AT&T, to provide highly accurate altitude capabilities for first responders using FirstNet.

In June, NextNav entered into a definitive merger agreement with Spartacus Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ: TMTS, TMTSW, and TMTSU) (“Spartacus”) in a transaction that would result in NextNav being listed on the Nasdaq. The transaction is expected to close late in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

About NextNav

NextNav provides next generation GPS. NextNav Pinnacle uses highly accurate vertical positioning to transform location services so they reflect the 3D world around us. Our revolutionary TerraPoiNT system keeps critical infrastructure resilient with reliable Position, Navigation and Timing services in the absence of GPS. With carrier-grade dependability and a rapidly expanding nationwide service footprint, NextNav is driving a whole new ecosystem for geolocation applications and services.

About TRX Systems

​​TRX Systems is the developer of NEON GPS-denied location solutions, delivering location, mapping, and proximity solutions where GPS is not available or is unreliable including indoors, underground, in dense urban areas, and where GPS is jammed or erroneous. NEON delivers ubiquitous, low-cost, GPS-denied location powered by advanced sensor fusion, ranging, and patented dynamic mapping algorithms. NEON location technology is the foundation for several commercial applications, including NEON Personnel Tracker and NEON Signal Mapper.

TRX's indoor location software development has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Army, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For more information, visit http://www.trxsystems.com.

Media Contacts

Chelsea Hoedl
LaunchSquad for NextNav
NextNav@launchsquad.com

Nicholas Boushell
TRX Systems
boushelln@trxsystems.com

FAQ

What is the purpose of the integration between NextNav and TRX Systems?

The integration aims to enhance the vertical tracking accuracy of first responders using the NEON 3D Personnel Tracker and NextNav’s Pinnacle Service.

What cities does NextNav’s Pinnacle service cover?

NextNav’s Pinnacle service is available in over 4,400 U.S. cities and towns, covering 90% of buildings over three stories.

What is the expected outcome of the field trial with Arlington County Fire Department?

The field trial aims to validate the integrated solution's performance in improving situational awareness for first responders.

What is the status of NextNav's merger with Spartacus Acquisition Corporation?

The merger is expected to close late in the fourth quarter of 2021, pending satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

What advantages does the integration provide to public safety users?

The integration offers improved situational awareness and incident response capabilities, by accurately tracking the vertical location of first responders indoors.