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RTK technology greatly improves the spraying accuracy of agricultural drones

The plant protection machine adopts the RTK differential positioning system (which can achieve centimeter-level positioning), which is also to speed up the operation efficiency. According to reports, if ordinary GPS positioning is used, in order to correct the error, it is necessary to send people to lay out several image control points on the spot, but with RTK, it is basically unnecessary, or only a small number of image control points are required.  This article tells you what is the use of RTK on the drone of the plant protection aircraft?

We have to understand what is RTK?

RTK (Real-time kinemaTIc) positioning technology is a real-time dynamic positioning technology based on carrier phase observations. It can provide real-time three-dimensional positioning results of stations in a specified coordinate system and achieve centimeter-level accuracy.

What is RTK used for?

RTK (Real-TIme kinemaTIc) positioning technology is a real-time dynamic positioning technology based on carrier phase observations. It can provide real-time three-dimensional positioning results of stations in a specified coordinate system and achieve centimeter-level accuracy.

What is the use of RTK for drones?


Since RTK was brought into the field of drones, the application of RTK technology on drones has been ignited recently. In the field of agricultural plant protection, everyone already knows that it can improve the positioning accuracy of UAVs and reduce flight errors.

Due to the multipath effect of the satellite signal and the refraction and reflection of the satellite signal in the atmosphere, when there is a windbreak around the farmland or the influence of the weather environment, the positioning accuracy of the satellite will be reduced, resulting in the deviation of the UAV in operation.

There is a certain risk of route deviation. When using ordinary GPS for positioning, the error of the route deviation may even reach about 10 meters. If the deviation is too large, it may cause the plant protection drone to hit the windbreak or other accidents. Therefore, such autonomous flight is not reassuring, and there is no way to truly liberate the hands of the operator. The operator still needs to concentrate on the drone flight.

Plant protection drones: When operating in some fields with large ridge spacing, if the deviation is large, it may even cause secondary hazards such as most of the crops themselves leaking spray and land pollution. All in all, RTK greatly improves the positioning accuracy. Broaden the application scenarios of GPS positioning technology. In the farmland of the future, RTK will also have more places to play a role. It will be integrated into every stage of crop growth, helping us to obtain real-time time and space information at any position in the farmland, and then matched with corresponding equipment to achieve timing, fixed-point and quantitative pesticide and chemical fertilizer delivery, and achieve the best economic and environmental benefits. . In addition to plant protection operations, high-precision real-time positioning can also assist in rural land surveying, confirmation of rights, and provide high-precision navigation and data services for unmanned automated equipment in other farmlands.

What are the problems of using RTK technology on plant protection drones?

1. The setting of the base station and the working radius have a direct impact on the measurement accuracy and working speed of RTK. The base station should be set up as high as possible, and away from strong electromagnetic interference sources and large-area signal reflectors.

2. RTK technology itself relies on GPS satellite positioning. Its use requires the tracking of more than four satellite phase observations and the necessary geometry. If the location itself accepts GPS signals very poorly, then RTK does not. what effect. In addition, it cannot be located where there are large areas of signal reflectors, such as near high-rise buildings, dense forests, etc.; strong electromagnetic sources can also interfere with signals, such as near high-voltage transmission lines, substations, etc., when the cloud layer is thick. influences.

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