GPS

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The Global Positioning System

Presentation given to IMDL Research group on 2/14/03:


GPS.ppt (MSPowerpoint 2002)

This presentation describes the basics of the Global Position System, including data structure and signal processing, position calculations, accuracy-improving technologies, error sources, and links to other information.

Topics of the presentation:

  • GPS Basics

  • Differential GPS

  • Carrier Phase Tracking

  • Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)

  • Constellation 3Di (indoor GPS)

 

Potential Use of GPS for Earthmoving Equipment
 
One topic of potential investigation is the problem that earth moving equipment can unintentionally tear into underground lines and cables while working at the job site, resulting in possible injury or death to the operator or nearby workers, not to mention serious damage to the lines. To minimize the possibility of such an accident, haptics could be employed by sending force feedback to the joystick when encountering a predefined virtual constraint. Such a system could use GPS technology as continuous feedback to an on-board processor, where position information could be compared with predefined "known" hazard locations.

The picture above illustrates some of the potential GPS elements of the Robotic Backhoe concept. Future work could integrate GPS technologies into the system to be used as feedback for avoiding underground hazards or digging prescribed hole dimensions.