Monday, November 11, 2013

GPS Receiver with Startling Accuracy

As GPS devices enter nearly every sphere of our lives, the accuracy of a device’s GPS receiver has become more important. Although fairly accurate devices have been available for some time, a new system is being developed that can determine location with astonishing precision.


SatelliteCurrent Systems


At present, GPS-enabled devices work using a fairly simple process. Numerous GPS satellites orbit the earth broadcasting their location to earth using wave signals. A GPS receiver on a device like a car navigation system senses signals from several of these satellites. It then uses algorithms to determine its own location based on the satellite signals it receives and the location of those satellites.


The Need for Accuracy


The wavelength of the signals emitted by satellites are nearly 1,000 feet long, which makes it difficult for a GPS receiver to determine a precise location. Car navigation systems, for instance, are typically accurate only within several yards. Minor inaccuracies are not particularly troublesome for obtaining driving directions, but some GPS applications need a much higher degree of accuracy. For instance, flying an unmanned aircraft based on an inaccurate GPS fix could result in an unexpected encounter with a building or power line. Some systems do exist to address this problem, but they are so expensive that they are only accessible to large corporations or governments. Even a model that is considered relatively inexpensive carries a price tag of nearly $15,000.


Piksi GPS


Recently, two individuals set out to develop a GPS receiver that would be both extremely accurate and affordable. To cut costs, they used open source software and commercially available processors to outfit their product. The new system, called Piksi, analyzes the GPS satellite signal waves more precisely than its typical counterparts. It determines the location code’s exact spot on the large signal wavelength from the satellite, then compares it with how the signal wave appears from another receiver at a fixed reference point. It then applies complex algorithms to determine its own precise location. The developers claim that their device is accurate within inches instead of yards.


Judging from the success of the Piksi GPS receiver on Kickstarter, the market is ripe for an affordable device of this nature. Unlike many potential projects on the entrepreneur website that struggle to raise the necessary funding, Piksi has raised nearly six times its fundraising goal. It is likely that this receiver and others like it will become common parts of our GPS devices in the future.



GPS Receiver with Startling Accuracy

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