For 35 years, Dr. Richard Langley of the University of New Brunswick (UNB) provided insights into global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), a critical modern technology.
Through his Innovation column in GPS World, Langley explained complex developments in GNSS including Global Positioning System (GPS) applications to an audience of academics, engineers and business professionals.
"Because businesspeople are getting the magazine, they may not have the same background as the academic who has provided us the story," said Langley, a professor and director of graduate studies in the department of geodesy and geomatics engineering.
"That's why we ran a sidebar called Insights to explain some of the complexities of the physics or engineering associated with the issues discussed in the column," he said.
Langley's column, which he recently concluded with its 300th installment, was more than a collection of articles. It became a chronicle of the evolution of satellite navigation, starting with six columns per year, then ten for many years and eventually down to four.
Langley wrote a detailed account of his experience writing the column over the years, and GPS World honoured him with several pages of tributes from friends and colleagues.
GPS was still new when the column debuted in 1990, with only a few satellites orbiting Earth.
Today, GPS and other GNSS systems, such as Europe's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS and China's BeiDou ensure the operation of billions of geolocation devices worldwide.
Smartphones, vehicles, ships, airplanes and even agricultural equipment rely on satellite positioning for precision and efficiency.
"We have more satellites, which means, in principle, we can position ourselves better," Langley said. "That also helps the dilution of precision problems if we include some satellites from the other constellations."
Dilution of precision how buildings or other obstructions can degrade GNSS positioning and navigation capability is one of the many topics Langley addressed in his column. His May 1999 article on the subject became influential in the field.
"It has been cited in the literature over 800 times, which is a large number of citations for our field," he said.
Drawing inspiration from academic papers, including many presented at Institute of Navigation conferences, Langley identified topics that might resonate with readers.
"I scanned the proceedings of conferences many of which I attended to see what might be good and not too niche. I would then ask the authors if they wanted a version of their work in GPS World," he said.
"Advances are still being made and presented at conferences. There is always something new."
Langley said his primary role was as an editor, helping to craft the technical material into engaging reading for a broad audience.
Beyond the column, Langley has made significant contributions to GPS research. At UNB, he led a team that developed a model to minimize atmospheric effects on GPS signals a breakthrough now incorporated into most GNSS equipment.
"Virtually every GNSS module or software has a bit of UNB algorithm in it," he said.
UNB has long-standing leadership in satellite navigation systems. When Langley joined the university in 1981, the department then known as surveying engineering was already exploring theoretical aspects of GPS before receivers were widely available.
"Even before that, there was a system predating GPS for navigation, called Transit, and people from UNB were working on that," Langley said, adding that his space science doctoral work at York University involved this system and had identified a bias in it.
His role at UNB now includes teaching, mentoring graduate students and advancing the university's research reputation. Writing the column helped this.
"Handling the column gave me a breadth of understanding to some degree of the different uses of GNSS, such as different receiver technologies, software and navigation techniques," he said.
"Covering the whole area of GPS, GNSS, and other navigation techniques, I became something of a jack-of-all-trades." (But he was quick to add, "but master of very few.")
Innovation allowed Langley to straddle the worlds of academia and industry, and his ability to connect these two audiences made the column a trusted resource.
Langley witnessed the miniaturization of GPS technology from bulky racks of equipment to tiny modules embedded in smartphones. The rapid pace of innovation continues to inspire him.
"New satellites are being launched, which have greater capabilities. There are more and better signals," he said.
"And down the road, with the better satellites, there will be better receivers giving better positions with greater accuracies and reliabilities."
He remains as busy as ever. A full-time professor with a research team at UNB, he also serves as editor-in-chief of the Institute of Navigation's journal, Navigation.
"I don't have any trouble filling my day," he said.
