Precise Positioning into Urban Environments: A Low-cost Single-Frequency PPP System

Author(s):  
Hongzhou Yang ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
Yang Gao
Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (24) ◽  
pp. 7265
Author(s):  
Zhitao Lyu ◽  
Yang Gao

High-precision positioning with low-cost global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) in urban environments remains a significant challenge due to the significant multipath effects, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) errors, as well as poor satellite visibility and geometry. A GNSS system is typically implemented with a least-square (LS) or a Kalman-filter (KF) estimator, and a proper weight scheme is vital for achieving reliable navigation solutions. The traditional weight schemes are based on the signal-in-space ranging errors (SISRE), elevation and C/N0 values, which would be less effective in urban environments since the observation quality cannot be fully manifested by those values. In this paper, we propose a new multi-feature support vector machine (SVM) signal classifier-based weight scheme for GNSS measurements to improve the kinematic GNSS positioning accuracy in urban environments. The proposed new weight scheme is based on the identification of important features in GNSS data in urban environments and intelligent classification of line-of-sight (LOS) and NLOS signals. To validate the performance of the newly proposed weight scheme, we have implemented it into a real-time single-frequency precise point positioning (SFPPP) system. The dynamic vehicle-based tests with a low-cost single-frequency u-blox M8T GNSS receiver demonstrate that the positioning accuracy using the new weight scheme outperforms the traditional C/N0 based weight model by 65.4% and 85.0% in the horizontal and up direction, and most position error spikes at overcrossing and short tunnels can be eliminated by the new weight scheme compared to the traditional method. It also surpasses the built-in satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) solutions of the u-blox M8T and is even better than the built-in real-time-kinematic (RTK) solutions of multi-frequency receivers like the u-blox F9P and Trimble BD982.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-175
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Volker Schwieger

AbstractThe investigations on low-cost single frequency GNSS receivers at the Institute of Engineering Geodesy (IIGS) show that u-blox GNSS receivers combined with low-cost antennas and self-constructed L1-optimized choke rings can reach an accuracy which almost meets the requirements of geodetic applications (see Zhang and Schwieger [25]). However, the quality (accuracy and reliability) of low-cost GNSS receiver data should still be improved, particularly in environments with obstructions. The multipath effects are a major error source for the short baselines. The ground plate or the choke ring ground plane can reduce the multipath signals from the horizontal reflector (e. g. ground). However, the shieldings cannot reduce the multipath signals from the vertical reflectors (e. g. walls).Because multipath effects are spatially and temporally correlated, an algorithm is developed for reducing the multipath effect by considering the spatial correlations of the adjoined stations (see Zhang and Schwieger [24]). In this paper, an algorithm based on the temporal correlations will be introduced. The developed algorithm is based on the periodic behavior of the estimated coordinates and not on carrier phase raw data, which is easy to use. Because, for the users, coordinates are more accessible than the raw data. The multipath effect can cause periodic oscillations but the periods change over time. Besides this, the multipath effect’s influence on the coordinates is a mixture of different multipath signals from different satellites and different reflectors. These two properties will be used to reduce the multipath effect. The algorithm runs in two steps and iteratively. Test measurements were carried out in a multipath intensive environment; the accuracies of the measurements are improved by about 50 % and the results can be delivered in near-real-time (in ca. 30 minutes), therefore the algorithm is suitable for structural health monitoring applications.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 780
Author(s):  
Kazunori Takahashi ◽  
Takashi Miwa

The paper discusses a way to configure a stepped-frequency continuous wave (SFCW) radar using a low-cost software-defined radio (SDR). The most of high-end SDRs offer multiple transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) channels, one of which can be used as the reference channel for compensating the initial phases of TX and RX local oscillator (LO) signals. It is same as how commercial vector network analyzers (VNAs) compensate for the LO initial phase. These SDRs can thus acquire phase-coherent in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) data without additional components and an SFCW radar can be easily configured. On the other hand, low-cost SDRs typically have only one transmitter and receiver. Therefore, the LO initial phase has to be compensated and the phases of the received I/Q signals have to be retrieved, preferably without employing an additional receiver and components to retain the system low-cost and simple. The present paper illustrates that the difference between the phases of TX and RX LO signals varies when the LO frequency is changed because of the timing of the commencement of the mixing. The paper then proposes a technique to compensate for the LO initial phases using the internal RF loopback of the transceiver chip and to reconstruct a pulse, which requires two streaming: one for the device under test (DUT) channel and the other for the internal RF loopback channel. The effect of the LO initial phase and the proposed method for the compensation are demonstrated by experiments at a single frequency and sweeping frequency, respectively. The results show that the proposed method can compensate for the LO initial phases and ultra-wideband (UWB) pulses can be reconstructed correctly from the data sampled by a low-cost SDR.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salil Goel ◽  
Allison Kealy ◽  
Bharat Lohani

Precise localization is one of the key requirements in the deployment of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for any application including precision mapping, surveillance, assisted navigation, search and rescue. The need for precise positioning is even more relevant with the increasing automation in UAVs and growing interest in commercial UAV applications such as transport and delivery. In the near future, the airspace is expected to be occupied with a large number of unmanned as well as manned aircraft, a majority of which are expected to be operating autonomously. This paper develops a new cooperative localization prototype that utilizes information sharing among UAVs and static anchor nodes for precise positioning of the UAVs. The UAVs are retrofitted with low-cost sensors including a camera, GPS receiver, UWB (Ultra Wide Band) radio and low-cost inertial sensors. The performance of the low-cost prototype is evaluated in real-world conditions in partially and obscured GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) environments. The performance is analyzed for both centralized and distributed cooperative network designs. It is demonstrated that the developed system is capable of achieving navigation grade (2–4 m) accuracy in partially GNSS denied environments, provided a consistent communication in the cooperative network is available. Furthermore, this paper provides experimental validation that information sharing is beneficial to improve positioning performance even in ideal GNSS environments. The experiments demonstrate that the major challenges for low-cost cooperative networks are consistent connectivity among UAV platforms and sensor synchronization.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Manuel López R. ◽  
Jose Ignacio Marulanda B.

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