SmartCORS: An Embedded System-based Cost-Effective and Intelligent Continuously Operating Reference Station to support long term Mapping and Surveying Application in the Philippines

The advancement of satellite-based radio-navigation systems enable the provision of highly precise positioning, velocity, and timing services in a broad variety of applications. Radio waves are used by receivers to determine the positional coordinates with high accuracy. However, measurements are fraught with variety of errors. Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a positioning technique that improves accuracy by determining positioning errors at a known fixed position and subsequently transmitting the corrective factors to the users. The study focused on the development of an intelligent and cost-effective continuously operating reference station capable of collecting carrier phase and pseudo-range measurements for Global Positioning System (GPS) and GLONASS satellites. The result of the study showed that there is a significant difference in static positioning performance of low-cost and multi-constellation receivers with an average position difference of 3.98 meters. SmartCORS has an average Dilution of Precision value of 5 and delivered Radio Technical Commission for Maritime (RTCM) data through Network Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol (NTRIP) with an average of 10, 467 correction data received in a one-minute connection. It provides high availability of data through the added features such as automatic power switching, live video coverage with human detection for security, and file transfer protocol in a virtual private network for data delivery. Furthermore, cost-benefit analysis showed that the benefits outweigh expenditures.