GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference Stations

Reliable real-time kinematic (RTK) is crucially important for emerging global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) applications, such as drones and unmanned vehicles. The performance of conventional single baseline RTK (SBRTK) with one reference station degrades greatly in dense, urban environments,...

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Main Authors: Jian Wang, Tianhe Xu, Wenfeng Nie, Guochang Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
Series:Remote Sensing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/19/3178
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author Jian Wang
Tianhe Xu
Wenfeng Nie
Guochang Xu
author_facet Jian Wang
Tianhe Xu
Wenfeng Nie
Guochang Xu
author_sort Jian Wang
collection DOAJ
description Reliable real-time kinematic (RTK) is crucially important for emerging global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) applications, such as drones and unmanned vehicles. The performance of conventional single baseline RTK (SBRTK) with one reference station degrades greatly in dense, urban environments, due to signal blockage and multipath error. The increasing use of multiple reference stations for kinematic positioning can improve RTK positioning accuracy and availability in urban areas. This paper proposes a new algorithm for multi-baseline RTK (MBRTK) positioning based on the equivalence principle. The advantages of the solution are to keep observation independent and increase the redundancy to estimate the unknown parameters. The equivalent double-differenced (DD) observation equations for multiple reference stations are firstly developed through the equivalent transform. A modified Kalman filter with parameter constraints is proposed, as well as a partial ambiguity resolution (PAR) strategy is developed to determine an ambiguity subset. Finally, the static and kinematic experiments are carried out to validate the proposed algorithm. The results demonstrate that, compared with single global positioning system (GPS) and Beidou navigation system (BDS) RTK positioning, the GPS/BDS positioning for MBRTK can enhance the positioning accuracy with improvement by approximately (45%, 35%, and 27%) and (12%, 6%, and 19%) in the North (N), East (E), and Up (U) components, as well as the availability with improvement by about 33% and 10%, respectively. Moreover, the MBRTK model with two and three reference receivers can significantly increase the redundancy and provide smaller ambiguity dilution of precision (ADOP) values. Compared with the scheme-one and scheme-two for SBRTK, the MBRTK with multiple reference receivers have a positioning accuracy improvement by about (9%, 0%, and 6%) and (9%, 16%, and 16%) in N, E, and U components, as well as the availability improvement by approximately 10%. Therefore, compared with the conventional SBRTK, the MBRTK can enhance the strength of the kinematic positioning model as well as improve the positioning accuracy and availability.
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spelling doaj.art-5a37c4e9065b4dc99915ae37a6d611f12023-11-20T15:23:30ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-09-011219317810.3390/rs12193178GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference StationsJian Wang0Tianhe Xu1Wenfeng Nie2Guochang Xu3Institute of Space Science, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaInstitute of Space Science, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaInstitute of Space Science, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaInstitute of Space Science, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, ChinaReliable real-time kinematic (RTK) is crucially important for emerging global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) applications, such as drones and unmanned vehicles. The performance of conventional single baseline RTK (SBRTK) with one reference station degrades greatly in dense, urban environments, due to signal blockage and multipath error. The increasing use of multiple reference stations for kinematic positioning can improve RTK positioning accuracy and availability in urban areas. This paper proposes a new algorithm for multi-baseline RTK (MBRTK) positioning based on the equivalence principle. The advantages of the solution are to keep observation independent and increase the redundancy to estimate the unknown parameters. The equivalent double-differenced (DD) observation equations for multiple reference stations are firstly developed through the equivalent transform. A modified Kalman filter with parameter constraints is proposed, as well as a partial ambiguity resolution (PAR) strategy is developed to determine an ambiguity subset. Finally, the static and kinematic experiments are carried out to validate the proposed algorithm. The results demonstrate that, compared with single global positioning system (GPS) and Beidou navigation system (BDS) RTK positioning, the GPS/BDS positioning for MBRTK can enhance the positioning accuracy with improvement by approximately (45%, 35%, and 27%) and (12%, 6%, and 19%) in the North (N), East (E), and Up (U) components, as well as the availability with improvement by about 33% and 10%, respectively. Moreover, the MBRTK model with two and three reference receivers can significantly increase the redundancy and provide smaller ambiguity dilution of precision (ADOP) values. Compared with the scheme-one and scheme-two for SBRTK, the MBRTK with multiple reference receivers have a positioning accuracy improvement by about (9%, 0%, and 6%) and (9%, 16%, and 16%) in N, E, and U components, as well as the availability improvement by approximately 10%. Therefore, compared with the conventional SBRTK, the MBRTK can enhance the strength of the kinematic positioning model as well as improve the positioning accuracy and availability.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/19/3178kinematic positioningmulti-baseline solutionequivalence principlemultiple reference stationspositioning availability
spellingShingle Jian Wang
Tianhe Xu
Wenfeng Nie
Guochang Xu
GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference Stations
Remote Sensing
kinematic positioning
multi-baseline solution
equivalence principle
multiple reference stations
positioning availability
title GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference Stations
title_full GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference Stations
title_fullStr GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference Stations
title_full_unstemmed GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference Stations
title_short GPS/BDS RTK Positioning Based on Equivalence Principle Using Multiple Reference Stations
title_sort gps bds rtk positioning based on equivalence principle using multiple reference stations
topic kinematic positioning
multi-baseline solution
equivalence principle
multiple reference stations
positioning availability
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/19/3178
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AT wenfengnie gpsbdsrtkpositioningbasedonequivalenceprincipleusingmultiplereferencestations
AT guochangxu gpsbdsrtkpositioningbasedonequivalenceprincipleusingmultiplereferencestations