Combining multiple, inexpensive GPS receivers to improve accuracy and reliability

GPS is a technology that allows for accurate tracking of various parameters, namely speed and location. These parameters are important to many applications, such as autonomous vehicles. In order to make a successful autonomous vehicle, it is necessary to be able to quantify its performance. Tracking a vehicle with GPS is an effective, well-established way to accomplish that. However, the consumer-level GPS technology available today is not accurate enough to provide useful data about a vehicle's speed and position with respect to something as restricted as a race track or a sidewalk. To attempt to solve this problem, the goal of this research is to significantly improve the accuracy of GPS, using only inexpensive GPS receivers and the supporting electronic components. Data from individual receivers will be merged, which will provide a more accurate tracking system capable of fine enough detail to provide useful data for many applications.