Performance Testing of On-the-Fly GPS Technology

Jon F. Burgess and Sally Frodge

Abstract:	Since 1988, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has embarked on a development program to adapt kinematic GPS positioning technology to the marine environment. The centimeter level accuracies which are possible by using the GPS carrier phase measurements are far more accurate than current systems used by the Corps. The potential cost savings associated with this superior positioning could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in dredge payment contracts alone. To make kinematic GPS a viable positioning tool for the hydrographic surveying and dredging environment, static initialization procedures cannot be used. Therefore, the Corps has supported research into on-the-fly IOTF) initialization technology. In 1991, the U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center conducted a number of field tests to examine the operational characteristics of OTF based post-processing software. These tests took place both on land and water under dynamic conditions. The OTF processed positions of the collected data were compared against various non-GPS positioning systems along with a short baseline GPS trajectory truth. The baseline lengths from reference to rover stations varied from less than 0.6 to 12 miles (approximately, 1 to 25 km). Results of OTF initialization varied from essentially complete success with baselines of 10 miles (i.e., 16 km) or less and 50 percent or less for baselines over 12 miles (i.e., 20 km). Other operational characteristics discussed in this paper are positioning accuracy, epoch initialization time and data recovery capability. Due to the primarily civilian nature of the Corps dredging mission, only those code and carrier signals available to the civilian public were used in the processing. The results gathered in this performance testing concluded that kinematic positioning based on OTF technology is a viable positioning method for the Corps surveying and dredging mission. TEC has now begun development of a prototype OTF positioning system capable of operating in real-time. This prototype system is scheduled to be available in the latter part of 1993.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 5th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1992) September 16 - 18, 1992 Albuquerque, NM
Pages:	1071 - 1077
Cite this article:	Burgess, Jon F., Frodge, Sally, "Performance Testing of On-the-Fly GPS Technology," Proceedings of the 5th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1992), Albuquerque, NM, September 1992, pp. 1071-1077.
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