What is RTK-GNSS positioning that is attracting attention now?
This article takes an average of 2 minutes and 30 seconds to read
Published June 24, 2022
"Satellite positioning system" used in car navigation systems and map applications.
Among them, "RTK positioning", which can measure position information with higher accuracy, is attracting attention.
So, in this article, what is RTK-GNSS? And I would like to explain the actual RTK positioning.
What is GPS/GNSS?
What is GPS
GPS stands for "Global Positioning System" and is a satellite positioning system developed by the United States.
As mentioned at the beginning, it is used to acquire location information for smartphones and car navigation systems, and has become a familiar part of our lives.
What is GNSS
GNSS is an acronym for "Global Navigation Satellite System" and is a general term for satellite positioning systems.
It includes various positioning systems such as US GPS, Russia's GLONASS, China's BeiDou, and Japan's QZSS.
Even if you think you are using GPS in your private life, you may actually receive other radio waves of this GNSS to obtain location information.
Difference between single positioning and RTK (relative positioning)
Single positioning
In general, location information services such as GPS use a method called stand-alone positioning. In this method, position is calculated by receiving four or more signals from GNSS satellites with a single receiver.
Positioning by GPS is used by airplanes and ships to know the position, and is used in smartphone map applications and SNSs that share position information.
However, this single positioning has an error of several meters, and has not spread to fields that require more precise position information.
RTK (Relative Positioning)
RTK is an acronym for "Real Time Kinematic" and is one of the methods called relative positioning. Two receivers, a reference station and a mobile station, receive four or more signals from GNSS satellites, and by compensating for positional information gaps between the two receivers, a more precise position is calculated. And the biggest feature is that the error can be suppressed within a few centimeters.
This high-precision positioning enables autonomous driving of drones, agricultural machinery, and construction machinery, which was not possible with single positioning. In addition, RTK receivers have already been introduced as terminals for surveying in the civil engineering and construction industry.
Is RTK possible with a single receiver? !
There is another type of RTK-GNSS positioning called "network type RTK".
This method does not require reference station observations, instead gathering reference point data from what is called a "Correction Information Distribution Service".
This "correction information distribution service" is connected to mobile stations via the Internet to correct location information. In other words, RTK positioning is possible simply by observing a mobile station with a single receiver in a place with an internet environment.
This "correction information distribution service" includes services such as Softbank's ichimill.
So how to actually do RTK?
RTK positioning requires an RTK-dedicated GNSS receiver.
Refixia provides the RTK-GNSS receiver "LRTK". In particular, the complete wireless receiver "LRTK Pro" with built-in battery/antenna can perform RTK positioning simply by connecting to a smartphone.
About LRTK Pro↓
With just a smartphone and LRTK Pro
Easy RTK-GNSS positioning!
~ New possibilities with RTK positioning ~
If you want to watch the video, click here ↓
cm class survey!
Wireless RTK module
LRTK Pro
Lefixea Inc.
With LRTK Pro, "RTK Positioning”"Internet type RTK positioning” two RTK positioning is possible.
To perform RTK-GNSS positioning with LRTK Pro ↓
Full LRTK Pro support
How to turn on the power ~ Setting up the dedicated application
RTK positioning & Internet type RTK positioning!
If you want to watch the video, click here ↓