A "Global RTK System" in the future?

[+Klemmer]

A recent quote from Ron Hatch (one of the "developers" of GPS) in the Inside GNSS magazine:

 

"When a significant number of satellites are transmitting on three frequencies, I believe that it will become possible to have a 'Global RTK' system that does not need closely spaced base stations"

 

The above will mean a lot more to Surveyors and our friends at NGS, but I toss it out there for technical discussions. I don't have much time at this moment to elaborate, but Wiki has a good explanation of Real Time Kinematic (RTK) if you are interested.

 

If he is right, in maybe a year or three, Global RTK could be achievable. Surveyors take note!

[Bill93]

I'm not an expert, but I think this means that the run-of-the-mill horizontal control station will be of a whole lot less interest than it is already. Right now, to get "real time" positioning as opposed to hours-long averaging for position, every area needs a few good stations that surveyors can set up a reference receiver on, and have a radio link to their roaming RTK receiver. This capability means that local surveyors don't care much whether there are three or thirty highly accurate horizontal marks in a city. With the capability being predicted, they won't even need those few.

 

The same thing may happen to vertical control (true bench marks) in another decade or so. Right now, GPS allows sufficiently accurate elevations to be determined, but those are elevations with respect to the ellipsoid model of the earth, not height above the "sea level" geoid. NGS is proposing that they get enough gravity data to allow accurate translation between these systems. See the GRAV-D and 10-year plans on the NGS site.

 

With all that proposed technology in place, what NGS will need is something like the HARN and CORS networks of stations, and not much more, to refine and monitor the models and translation data.

Edited March 4, 2008 by Bill93

[+Ernmark]

...I hope this doesn't mean I'll have to find a new hobby!

[+t8r]

How does this compare to differential GPS?

[+Klemmer]

A little more time to write now. RTK uses a fundamentally different method of calculating a position than "normal" GPS receivers. In a nutshell, it uses the carrier instead of the embedded coding. At present, it is limited to high-end electronics systems, such as survey, auto-driving for field tractors, and similar applications, and requires precisely located radio transmitters located not too far from whee you need the accurate position. Pricey, too.

 

With the possibility of "Global RTK" and ever improving / less expensive electronics, the possibilities are quite interesting. OK, I guess I'm a "futurist" and read a lot of science / science fiction, and even write some science fiction (not published - yet!). Imagine your GPS receiver being accurate to a few inches, continuously, including in motion. Auto-drive freeways? You betcha! Unmanned trucks? Yep. Umanned taxis? Sure! Sub-micro sized geocaches? Yep! Hmmm... time for a GPS based / future geocaching science fiction short story?

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Maybe I been reading to much SCI_Fi too.

I thought they already had it.

 

r maybe that was CSI.

 

I can tell you from experience the GPS is highly accurate.

I am hooked and it gets me within a foot or less most of the time.

 

Now that is on readings done with the GPS System.

 

As far as other type calculations and datums I tend to be just a little farther off on most but still on the baseball.

I was gonna say same in the ballpark but some of them are huge.

I am satisfied with the System.

But I am always ready for improvements in precision and accuracy.

 

They are trying to make mandatory chips in animals the Law here.

So that they can all be traced especially Cattle and Horses and the GPS is a tiny microchip.

So they do have ity bity GPS already.

 

Maybe they are testing animals first.

[+Klemmer]

Geo:

 

A reality check (politely, really):

 

If you can consistently get within a foot with your consumer GPS, you are a very lucky man. What model & make GPS, please? Or are you using survey grade stuff? Most of the rest of us who are not so lucky are happy with 5 feet.

 

If you can get a GPS receiver on a chip small enough to inject under the skin, please let me know. I'd like to buy some stock in that company. I believe those chips you are talking about are RFID chips. You read them with a scanner. Like a bar-code, but with with radio. The chips "reflect" the signals with ID on them back to the scanner (can be handheld size).

 

Now back to our Science Fiction......

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Garmin Rino 120 W/WAAS on.

 

I had sent it back once for a fix and when I got it back from Garmin.....

I use it so much the buttons are almost wore off.

 

The only thing is the maps were just slightly off when I got it back...but hey aren't they all..LOL

 

GPS Mini chip