Precise carrier phase-based point positioning of boat-mounted terrestrial remote sensing platform

Abstract

Many professional communities nowadays require precise and accurate position information. Although various location technologies are integrated in one device, GNSS remains one of the main sources of precise positioning information. Traditionally, GNSS precise positioning has been achieved in relative mode using differential principles. On the other hand, with the technological advances in GNSS technology and processing algorithms, nowadays, GNSS precise positioning can also be achieved in absolute mode using a single GNSS sensor in combination with precise information about the satellite orbits and clocks. Such absolute positioning algorithm is known as Precise Point Positioning. PPP takes advantage of the carrier phase observation, the most precise observation from a satellite system. In this work, a PPP algorithm is implemented and tested for absolute georeference of data captured by a boat-mounted mobile terrestrial remote sensing platform. The estimation scheme for kinematic PPP processing is modified accordingly in order to reflect the test dynamics. The test results demonstrate that centimetre level accuracies are achievable in kinematic mode although the main challenge is to keep continuous satellite signal tracking. In addition, robust quality control and better outlier detection algorithms may further increase the usability of GNSS precise point positioning using carrier phase observations.