Low-Cost RTK Using Compact GNSS Modules for Efficient Land Surveying

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) provides precise positioning solutions using various techniques; simultaneously, improvement in the GNSS technology helped in the commercial introduction of Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) efficient GNSS modules. This work presents the results of detailed studies on using compact, cost-efficient GNSS modules such as GNSS Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Rovers in static and dynamic situations, which may be used in strategic applications, including those for the Test Ranges. This work shows that such compact and low-cost GNSS modules offer much better solution precision of any point in an affordable and time-efficient manner during surveying. For any area larger than 1000 sq ft (approximately ten sq mt), such RTK rovers can efficiently measure the land's location in a time-efficient manner. For dynamic cases, when the RTK Rover hardware is placed on a moving platform, such cost-efficient RTK generates an accurate trajectory of the moving platform. Together with strategic applications, the results would be helpful for other real-life applications demanding high precision.