Compact, Lightweight, and High-Precision!
Fast FIX and Versatility Achieved by RTK Surveying GPS

In construction sites and infrastructure maintenance, even a small deviation of just a few centimeters can lead to significant issues. For example, if the position of a bridge is off by a few centimeters, it could affect the structure, and measurement errors in road construction can lead to large-scale rework. Therefore, high-precision centimeter-level positioning using RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) technology is crucial.

However, traditional high-precision surveying techniques have had several challenges. For example, the RTK surveying receivers and base stations are large and heavy, making transportation and setup on-site cumbersome. Initial setup and receiving satellite correction data also take time, and it is not uncommon to be delayed until a stable FIX (fixed solution) is achieved. Furthermore, for tasks like point cloud scanning or photogrammetry, separate specialized equipment or tools were required, and managing all the survey data became complicated. Although high-precision positioning itself was possible, issues with "bulky equipment," "lack of immediate measurement," and "separate functionalities" in traditional technology hindered the improvement of productivity on site.

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The features of LRTK technology: Compact, lightweight, fast FIX, and all-in-one functionality

The LRTK (high-precision RTK positioning device) is a new technology that solves these challenges. Among its offerings, the device known as "LRTK Phone" stands out as a compact and lightweight RTK positioning unit that can be used in combination with existing smartphones. With a compact design that fits in the palm of your hand, it integrates the antenna and battery into an all-in-one unit. By simply attaching and connecting it to your smartphone, you can immediately begin high-precision RTK surveying. No need for cable connections, as it wirelessly integrates via Bluetooth or other technologies, eliminating the hassle of dealing with cumbersome equipment. With just your smartphone and the LRTK Phone on-site, you can easily achieve professional RTK positioning, which traditionally required a base station or controller.

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One of the major strengths of LRTK technology is its instant positioning enabled by fast FIX. By utilizing the latest GNSS chips and correction information, high-precision positioning to the centimeter level can be established within just a few seconds after powering on. Traditionally, it took time to capture satellites and initialize, leading to the stress of long wait times before starting work. However, with LRTK, you can begin surveying as soon as you arrive on-site. For example, even in tunnels or mountainous areas, the time required to re-establish a FIX is minimized during mobile surveying, significantly reducing the need to remeasure. Since stable and high-precision positioning is always available, LRTK provides immediate responsiveness even in busy work environments.

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A notable feature of the LRTK Phone is its all-in-one functionality. With just a smartphone and the LRTK device, a variety of high-precision measurements can be performed, including the following:

• 3D Point Cloud Scanning: If the smartphone is equipped with LiDAR, it can perform laser scanning of the surrounding terrain and structures to obtain point cloud data. With LRTK, each point receives centimeter-accurate position coordinates, enabling the creation of 3D models of the current conditions with precision comparable to traditional laser scanners. This is particularly useful for complex terrain surveying and shape management, as well as for quickly performing tasks like volume calculations.

• AR (Augmented Reality) Functionality: By continuously receiving high-precision location data, AR displayed on the smartphone screen can be accurately superimposed without any discrepancies. For example, if you display the design plans or locations of buried utilities in AR on-site, the projection will match precisely without any deviation, down to the centimeter. Previously, there were issues with AR displays being misaligned with reality due to GPS accuracy errors, but with LRTK, precise AR visualizations are possible, as if the actual objects were present in the real world.

• Position-Tagged Photos: Photos taken with the smartphone camera can automatically have high-precision location coordinates and orientation data tagged. By taking photos at each measurement point, you can later verify the exact location and orientation on a map, making report creation and information sharing much easier. Previously, determining the location of a photo on a map required manual work or estimation, but with LRTK, accurate location records are completed at the time of capture.

• Coordinate Guidance (Navigation): The LRTK Phone also has a navigation feature that guides you to pre-recorded points or coordinates on a design plan. It shows the target direction on the map or radar screen as arrows or circles and displays the real-time distance to the destination. In AR mode, the direction to proceed is indicated by arrows overlaid on the camera image, allowing you to intuitively reach your goal. In traditional surveying, surveyors and staff needed to check the position several times to set the stakes at the designated coordinates. However, with LRTK's coordinate guidance, one person can quickly and accurately perform the staking task.

 

In this way, the LRTK Phone is an innovative RTK GPS device that achieves both "high-precision positioning" and "multi-functional measurement." Its compact and lightweight design ensures ease of use, while the fast FIX response time allows for quick setup. Additionally, its all-in-one functions, including point cloud scanning, AR, photo tagging, and navigation, significantly improve the productivity and accuracy of surveying tasks.

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Use Cases in the Construction Industry: Specific Benefits in Civil Engineering, Construction, and Infrastructure Maintenance

The LRTK Phone excels in a wide range of fields, from civil engineering and construction to infrastructure maintenance. Let's explore the specific advantages in each area.

● Use Cases in Civil Engineering and Construction:

In foundation and site development projects, high-precision surveying is essential for setting reference points and managing as-built conditions. With the LRTK, workers can measure necessary points quickly without carrying heavy surveying equipment or making multiple trips between survey points. For example, marking the range of ground improvement or displaying the position for installing structures on the ground can be intuitively checked using the AR function. Tasks that were traditionally performed manually with transit instruments or laser rangefinders can now be handled accurately by one person using the LRTK’s coordinate guidance function. Additionally, by taking photos during construction and uploading them with location data to the cloud, progress can be monitored in real time from a remote office. The LRTK's ease of use, even for small construction companies, ensures that sufficient surveying accuracy can be maintained, even when experienced surveyors are not on-site.

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● Use in Infrastructure Inspection and Maintenance:

The LRTK Phone is extremely useful for infrastructure inspection work, such as roads, railways, and bridges. For instance, in highway inspections, cracks and damage can be quickly photographed and recorded with precise location coordinates. When another inspector revisits the site, the recorded coordinates, combined with the LRTK’s guidance function, ensure that the exact location is pinpointed without any risk of oversight or misplacement. In rail track inspections, abnormal locations can be pinpointed with centimeter-level accuracy, improving the accuracy of maintenance planning and material delivery. Furthermore, by using the LiDAR scan feature, the shape of tunnels and bridge spans can be converted into point cloud data for monitoring changes over time or any displacement. What was once a task outsourced to specialized contractors for high-precision 3D measurements can now be done quickly in-house using smartphones, significantly advancing the DX (digital transformation) of infrastructure maintenance.

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● Other Use Cases:

For surveyors and GIS engineers, the LRTK Phone also presents a new tool. In tasks such as forest surveys or agricultural land surveys, the portability of the LRTK excels. Its compact size fits in a backpack, making it possible to carry out accurate measurements in remote areas that were once challenging. It’s also effective for disaster mapping. By quickly scanning the affected areas immediately after a disaster and uploading photos to the cloud, recovery planning and information sharing between departments become much smoother. Since it is based on a smartphone app, which is intuitive to use, trained infrastructure workers or local government staff can perform field measurements, contributing to alleviating labor shortages.

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In this way, the LRTK Phone brings tangible benefits across a wide range of fields, from improving productivity in construction and civil engineering to streamlining the maintenance of social infrastructure. It significantly lowers the barriers to RTK surveying, paving the way for an era where anyone can easily utilize centimeter-level positioning data.