Performances and New Aspects of Multi-GNSS, Dual Frequency and Low-Cost Receivers in Harsh Urban Environments

Traditionally, multi-constellation and multi-frequency chipsets were only adopted on geodetic receivers, considering the high costs and limited number of mass applications. Nowadays, with a wide range of constellations available, satellite navigation has opened up to many civilian domains like navigation and positioning, surveying and mapping, weather prediction, mobile satellite communications, smart technologies, etc. Currently, many geodetic receivers are available and they can provide highly accurate results up to millimetre level. In addition, there are several low-cost solutions, which are able to work in multi-constellation and multi-frequencies domain. Usually the accuracy of receivers, especially low-cost ones, is not very high in harsh urban environment due to low visibility of satellites, frequent signal blockages and increasing multipath effects. In this paper the accuracy and the reliability of multi-GNSS (GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo), low-cost single and dual frequency receivers are investigated and analysed for kinematic positioning. Different datasets have been collected by single (Emlid Reach GNSS) and dual frequency GNSS receivers (i.e. Tersus Precis BX306 and Piksi multi GNSS) in a harsh urban environment and then analysed using real time and post-processed solutions. This work shows that under suitable conditions, mass-market sensors could be a valid alternative to a more expensive receiver for many environmental applications.