Development of a Submillimetric GNSS-Based Distance Meter for Length Metrology

Area of Science:

• Geodetic metrology
• Satellite navigation systems
• Precision measurement

Background:

• High-precision absolute distance determination (submillimetric uncertainty) is crucial for geodetic metrology.
• Existing calibration baselines (10-1000 m) lack market solutions for this precision.
• Advanced techniques like interferometry and laser trackers are sophisticated and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-Based Distance Meter (GBDM) for submillimetric precision in outdoor length metrology.
• To address the challenge of multipath error in GNSS signals for metrological applications.
• To validate the GBDM's accuracy against established length metrology standards.

Main Methods:

• Development of a dedicated approach for a submillimetric GBDM.
• Implementation of methods to mitigate GNSS signal multipath errors.
• Experimental testing following length metrology standards at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV).

Main Results:

• The proposed GBDM approach was tested in four experiments.
• The system demonstrated the capability to achieve submillimetric accuracy.
• The results align with the requirements for current calibration baselines of reference.

Conclusions:

• The developed GBDM offers a viable alternative for high-precision distance determination.
• The approach effectively manages multipath errors, a key limitation for GNSS in metrology.
• The GBDM can provide the required accuracy for length metrology in existing calibration baselines.