Positioning is the accurate determination of the location of an object in space, relative to a framework or datum. In geographic / hydrographic information positioning is always present to determine the location of whatever we are measuring. 

Depending on the type of application the framework can be global or local. When used globally techniques such as GNSS are used and the framework is defined by geodetical coordinate reference systems. Local positioning can be done on a jobsite such as in construction and engineering with total station but in for indoor navigation. 

Sensor Fusion for Precision Agriculture

Sensor Fusion for Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture has considerably benefited from the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, often combined with active ranging sensors like Lidar to gather information from underneath the crops, but ex...

Precise Point Positioning from Combined GNSS

Precise Point Positioning from Combined GNSS

Currently there are four global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) available: GPS, Glonass, BeiDou and Galileo. The satellites of these systems are used for positioning, and the accuracy is greatly ...

GPS and the 2015 Gorkha earthquake

GPS and the 2015 Gorkha earthquake

Nepal is prone to earthquakes and throughout the centuries the country’s capital city, Kathmandu, has been regularly struck by earthquakes which appear to have similar epicentres and behaviour. The ...

Location Communication

A fire-fighter can pretty easily get lost and disorientated when surrounded by smoke in the middle of the night. GPS navigation is great, but not for working inside buildings because of the absence o...

GNSS Positioning

GNSS Positioning

Nowadays, GNSS receivers have scores – and often hundreds – of channels, enabling them to track GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Compass signals simultaneously. The whole workflow from satellite tracking...

Developing a Fully Fledged CORS Map for Africa

Developing a Fully Fledged CORS Map for Africa

Continuously operating reference stations (CORS) are permanent GNSS stations that log and disseminate GNSS observations continuously to meet various user needs. CORS networks have been going up all ov...

Bluetooth Tracking

Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium are using Bluetooth scanners to reconstruct the path of moving persons. Everyone with a Bluetooth-enabled phone is a participant in their research and will b...

High-precision GNSS Receivers

High-precision GNSS Receivers

What will the new GNSS signals bring to the user of high-precision receivers? This article provides a brief overview of what users can expect from GNSS systems that are currently in the modernisation/...

GPS-based Road Pricing

Copenhagen in Denmark has conducted an experiment in alternative driving and congestion charging using car tracking based on GPS. A main limitation of GPS is that quality depends on satellite visibili...

Car Navigation

Car navigation systems significantly ease safe arrival at a destination. However, one side effect is a dramatic increase in heavy goods vehicles passing through rural villages and suburbs, significant...

Navigation 2.0

Navigation is a daily activity for many as they move from place to place. With increasing complexity in transportation networks has come a rising demand for navigational assistance. Over the centuries...

The Incremental Improvements in GNSS

The Incremental Improvements in GNSS

What is the current state of GNSS, from both a constellation, augmentation and receiver perspective? Spoiler alert: it is more of an evolution than a revolution! It is almost impossible to imagine geo...

Onboard Galileo Atomic Clocks

The European Commission and the European Space Agency have approved the Galileo GNSS programme. Two experimental satellites will be launched in late 2005 or early 2006. Atomic clocks are critical for ...

Network-based GPS Survey in Japan

In 2000, geodetic datum of Japan was shifted to the world datum (ITRF Coordinate System) and since the year 2002 authorised Electric Reference Stations (ERS) coordinates and their daily observation da...

Navigation in your Pocket

In my March editorial I took you along on my adventure with fellow conference participants as we got lost in Prague. Despite having to hand a GPS device, we ended up at the wrong metro station. Ensui...