Real Time Kinematics with 5G also supports location accuracy for drones and autonomous vehicles. This technology could be important for robotics and in emergencies.
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Verizon announced a slate of new GPS-related services thanks to the development of Real Time Kinematics (RTK), which when paired with 5G will be able to support location accuracy for drones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and more. Hyper Precise Location using RTK is a location technology that provides location accuracy within one to two centimeters, according to Verizon.
In a release on Thursday, Chief Product Development Officer for Verizon Nicola Palmer explained that billions more IoT devices are being introduced to the market, and the need for more precise location technology was going to become important for robotics in factories and in emergency situations.
“We are scaling RTK to enable mobile location accuracy to within a few centimeters, transforming what is currently possible when it comes to location-enabled services and new IoT solutions coming onto the market,” Palmer said.
“Continued growth in the IoT environment means billions of devices in fields where precision location services are becoming more critical, such as vehicle automation, unmanned aerial vehicles, precision agriculture technology, infrastructure monitoring, asset tracking, and high value shipping,” Palmer added.
According to the release, Verizon has already set up Real Time Kinematics “reference stations” that are coordinating with IoT devices on a variety of services.
As it is rolled out more widely, it will be paired with Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network and 5G Edge, enabling a range of functions for more IoT devices.
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Another major aspect of the project is a partnership with HERE Technologies to produce a vehicle-to-network communication system designed to help with road safety and accidents. Using Real Time Kinematics, 5G, and an AI system from HERE Technologies, the system will be able to “precisely identify vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, etc…. to predict likely travel paths and warn vehicles of impending potential collisions.”
“Moving beyond the static fidelity of satellite-based location data enables an exciting new generation of connected, autonomous experiences,” said Jørgen Behrens, SVP, Chief Product Officer at HERE Technologies, as quoted in the release.
“By pairing HERE’s live, hyper-precise HD Map and HD Positioning technologies with intelligent RTK algorithms, and making that scalable, Verizon is putting a transformative level of location insights into the hands of developers and consumers alike,” Behrens added.
Building off its use in auto safety, the Real Time Kinematics technology is also being planned for use with autonomous vehicles, which are slowly making their way onto real roads.
“RTK is a critical technology for advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). Accurate positioning helps ADAS vehicles navigate better, drive smoother, and react faster to the surrounding environment,” said Christopher Heiser, CEO and Co-Founder of Renovo, as quoted in the release.
“Nationwide, reliable RTK networks make for a viable way to deliver these enhanced capabilities to mass-market cars and trucks. For companies that manage the huge datasets that power next-generation vehicle platforms like Renovo, this is very exciting,” Heiser added.
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