Reliability of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Positioning for Low-Cost Drones' Navigation across Global Navigation...

Area of Science:

• * Robotics and Autonomous Systems
• * Geomatics Engineering
• * Navigation and Positioning Systems

Background:

• * Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used for surveying, often in complex environments near structures.
• * Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK GNSS) offers high precision but is susceptible to signal degradation.
• * Critical operational conditions like urban canyons and tunnels challenge RTK GNSS accuracy for drones.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To evaluate the performance limitations of low-cost RTK GNSS modules on lightweight drones.
• * To assess positioning accuracy in demanding scenarios simulating infrastructure inspection.
• * To identify factors affecting RTK GNSS quality in restricted environments.

Main Methods:

• * Simulated drone trajectories in three critical scenarios: near tall walls, in tunnels, and under bridges.
• * Varied parameters including GNSS outage duration, flight dynamics, and obstacle proximity.
• * Analyzed positioning quality based on collected data from low-cost GNSS modules.

Main Results:

• * RTK GNSS positioning quality significantly degrades under conditions with limited sky visibility and multipath effects.
• * Specific flight dynamics and obstacle sizes were correlated with reduced positioning accuracy.
• * Identified critical thresholds for signal outages impacting safe navigation.

Conclusions:

• * Low-cost RTK GNSS on drones faces substantial limitations in complex operational environments.
• * Practical recommendations are derived for safe drone operation using standard software and GNSS parameters.
• * The study guides users on managing risks associated with drone navigation near infrastructure.