Advances in GPS

[+J Grouchy]

Interesting article on advances being made in GPS technology that may eventually be available in consumer devices.

 

Super-Accurate GPS Just Got a Lot Cheaper and Faster

 

The researchers’ innovation lies in how they combine GPS measurements with data from an inertial measurement unit, or IMU, which is an electronic device that can measure force and angular velocity. To make these two data points useful and precise, scientists have to figure out the integer number of signal wavelengths traveled between the satellite (in space) and the receiver (on Earth). The UCR team has found a way to clarify that integer number with many, many fewer computations. The upshot is that very precise GPS just got a lot faster, and a lot cheaper.

 

GPS is far from the be-all-end-all for autonomous vehicle navigation. “You’re not going to trust safety of life to one sensor,” Farrell points out. Researchers are also scrambling to improve upon and speed up visual odometry, which uses images and motion sensors to estimate position; lidar, which measures distance using laser light; and radar.

 

Indeed, interest in piloting technology will only grow. “People think of it as their right on the cellphone to know where they’re at,” says Farrell. The researcher has already gotten an email from a cellphone company—so it’s possible his breakthrough could eventually make it to your lowly smartphone, as well.