How Does RTK Allow GPS To Be Centimeter Level Accurate?

Watch this video to learn how RTK takes the GPS data and corrects it for more accurate information.

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Additional Autonomous Navigation Resources

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RTK stands for real-time kinematic. It takes a correction service from an already surveyed GPS base station and applies that correction to the rover or the moving GPS system. It is then able to correct for atmospheric distortions, and any errors in the existing GPS system. This changes your data information from meter level accuracy positioning to centimeter level accuracy and positioning.

Because the GPS system is triangulating itself off GPS signals from moving satellites in free space, the satellite signal is traveling through great distances of atmosphere. These distances of atmosphere affect the speed at which the signal arrives at the GPS receiver.

The position estimate is critical to the timing of these signals. Weather conditions and time of day are just a few factors that can affect the signal. Because the atmosphere changes and the time of arrival changes on each of those signals, the actual position estimate will vary.

Air is also a factor in the GPS signal themselves. RTK then takes a correction from a surveyed known location that is in relatively close proximity to the rover. This can be up to 20 miles. It then applies that correction to account for these atmospheric distortions and errors.

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[sbkarajan]

If you put cm level accurate GPS receivers, 2 cm apart.... Do GPS really tell they are 2 cm apart?

[PISQUEFrancis]

Have you ever used L1 GPS in S&G kinematic fashion?
Very accurate, very simple, and very cheap ... although almost always post-processed(in the office) ...

[MrCuddlyable]

0:37 gets my thumb down already with the common error: GPS finds locations by triLATERation not triANGULation.

[movaxh]

Not accuracy. It improves precision. Not accuracy.