Introducing Virtual RTK

Published by Aaron Nathan // September 19, 2024

GPS is not new. The US Air Force started development of GPS (Global Positioning System; known internationally as GNSS, or Global Navigation Satellite System) in 1974 and the first satellite was launched in 1978. Originally meant for military use, US President Ronald Reagan made it available for civilian use in 1983. At that time, interestingly, use of GPS outside of military applications was deliberately limited to an average accuracy of 100 meters – something that military receivers “corrected” for. It wasn’t until 2000 that this ‘Selective Availability’ was disabled and GPS became accurate within five meters for all receivers.

Fast forward to today (2024) and average GPS accuracy is still around five meters. That’s 16 feet of ambiguity – way too much for, well, almost any of our modern-day innovations like autonomous taxis, drone deliveries, construction and agriculture robotics, and even autonomous lawn care.

The need for precise and reliable location services has never been more important – something that I’ve experienced first-hand as an engineer. Early in my career, as part of the DARPA Grand Challenge, I built my own autonomous car which almost drove itself off a bridge because the GPS I was using was extremely confident in its incorrect position (despite using a correction service). After this experience, and after having seen the untapped potential of using GPS in tandem with other data, I founded Point One with the vision of allowing customers to get reliable and easy-to-use precision location into their stack, and do so in a way that was compatible with how all modern systems are built.

Today, Point One’s precision location platform allows you to go from 16 feet to 1.6 centimeters (or less) - a 100x improvement. And while the concept of GPS corrections is also not new (remember, the military originally “corrected” for its civilian-imposed Selective Availability), the method of corrections and the level of precision – allowing for that 100x improvement on GPS positioning – bests even the circa 1983 corrections capabilities of the military. And, this level of precision is available to developers without complicated, “extra” hardware – Point One uses existing GNSS signals and our professionally-run RTK network to achieve that centimeter-level precision.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Because – I’m proud to announce that Point One has made our Virtual RTK offering available to customers. Virtual RTK complements our True RTK offering (under our Polaris product umbrella) and builds upon our mission to deliver the world’s most comprehensive, accurate, reliable, and modern corrections platform. Virtual RTK extends our Polaris coverage across the entire US and Western Europe, and delivers the reliable, uniform performance that many ground vehicles require – and at a price point that makes sense for any application.

Point One’s True RTK service relies on our independently owned and operated network of 1,700 (and growing) base stations. Proximity to these base stations allow customers to achieve the highest level of precision for their most demanding applications – we’re talking precision within one centimeter. While Virtual RTK doesn’t require proximity to a physical base station (and can thereby provide complete, continent-wide coverage), the mathematical model that drives the technology does rely on communication with base stations. Point One’s existing physical infrastructure bolsters the accuracy and convergence of our Virtual RTK service as a result, allowing us to provide customers with faster fix times and higher availability.

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It might be cliche to say, but we’re truly just getting started. GPS is not new, but the ways in which our customers will use Point One’s precision location stack will not only be new but will push the boundaries of what’s possible. I’m continually inspired by the way the world’s most innovative companies – Point One customers – are using our service to seamlessly and instantly enable high-precision location in their applications, without having to worry about finding costly and time-intensive solutions. From autonomous construction robots, to autonomous freight, to damage prevention; and whether you’re an individual operator or you manage a fleet of millions – Point One has you covered. I can’t wait to see what you build next.

Try Polaris free for 14 days (sign up here), or contact us to learn more about pricing at scale.

Aaron is an entrepreneur and technical leader with over two decades of experience in robotics and software/hardware development. He has deep domain experience in sensor fusion, computer vision, navigation, and embedded systems, specifically in the context of robotic applications.
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