ION Education Programs

ION's mission to "advance the art and science of positioning, navigation and timing" is carried out in part by its many educational activities. The following is a sample of educational efforts in which ION members instruct and challenge those who wish to learn more about the industry.

• Online Tutorials: The first installment of ION’s Online Tutorial series covers "The Basics of Satellite Navigation," presented by leading GNSS expert Dr. Per Enge of Stanford University. Each tutorial offers a classroom experience using video segments with PowerPoint viewgraphs inset into the video recording.
• ION Robotic Lawnmower Competition: The ION Robotic Lawnmower Competition challenges university and college students to design and operate a robotic unmanned lawnmower using the art and science of navigation to rapidly and accurately mow a field of grass.
• Mini-Urban Challenge: The Mini-Urban Challenge is a competition that brings teams of high school students to design a robotic unmanned car, built from a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT kit, that can accurately navigate through a Lego city.
• Autonomous Snowplow Competition: The purpose of this competition is to challenge university and college students, as well as the general public, to design, build, and operate a fully autonomous snowplow to remove snow from a designated path. The objectives of this competition include encouraging students and individuals to utilize the state of the art in navigation and control technologies to rapidly, accurately, and safely clear a path of snow.
• Video from ION GNSS: View panel sessions from ION GNSS featuring industry experts.
• Navigation Education Plans: The ION’s Navigation Education Plans facilitate the introduction of navigation in middle school curricula and encourage the involvement of ION members in educational outreach activities. 10 lessons are included on a variety of navigation topics. Educators are encouraged to integrate these materials into their lesson plans.
• ION Virtual Museum: The ION began the ION Virtual Museum to preserve the history of the art and science of navigation.  The virtual museum allows visitors to read descriptions, view photographs, and obtain detailed information on devices, systems, components, and/or methods in a convenient electronic format.