The Current and Future Status of Precise Point Positioning (PPP)
Omid Kamali
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Abstract:
Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique applies a single station and the information about precise satellite orbits and clocks to achieve centimeter level accuracies. This is fundamentally different from RTK or network solutions that relies on corrections from a base station or a network of stations. PPP can be applied globally and can be used in a broad range of applications in remote areas and the offshore, where reference stations are too sparsely distributed or non-existent. In Canada, the Canadian Geodetic Survey (CGS) has implemented online PPP software for post-mission processing.
Users can submit observation files and access their PPP solution from Natural Resources of Canada (NRCan) site within minutes. This service is known as CSRS-PPP and applies the latest PPP algorithms and uses the most precise orbit products. Naturally, PPP needs a long convergence time compared to differential methods to reach a specific precision. While a minute or less may be sufficient to obtain RTK positions with centimeter accuracy, 15 minutes to an hour may be required from PPP. Recently, some novel methods have been introduced by CGS at NRcan and the Center of Research in Geomatics (CRG) at Laval University to reduce the convergence time. These methods include resolving integer ambiguities or applying multi-GNSS observables. In this workshop session, we introduce the current state and the near future improvements of PPP and the CSRS-PPP service.
Bio:
Omid Kamali is a geodetic engineer and researcher currently working for the Canadian Geodetic Survey (CGS) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). His main interest lies in GNSS/Geodesy domain with special emphasis on designing and testing positioning systems (Standalone / Augmented / Assisted), and minimizing errors in positioning solutions. His current work focuses on Precise Point Positioning (PPP) techniques.