Hi everyone, still in the spirit of reminiscing, this time I’ll share about a moment where I had the opportunity to get up close with a tool worth 3 billion rupiah… Wow.
This tool is called Navcom GNSS, or simply the Geodesy team’s GPS, to support their work such as Surveying & Mapping.
This tool can operate as either a Rover or a Base, adjusting based on its purpose. I’m not an expert in this field; I was just lucky to be involved in some unique Geodetic activities as a Technical Assistant. With an Electronics background, it was quite challenging for me.
Navcom Technology, Inc., located at 20780 Madrona Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503 California, USA, is a leading company owned by John Deere, providing advanced GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) products for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), VAR (Vector Auto Regression), and high-performance System Integrator support. These include RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) systems, 5 cm-level global GPS satellite correction, geodetic-quality GNSS receivers, wireless communication products, and engineering consulting for precise positioning in areas and robotics.
If you’re interested in Navcom’s history, please check out more information HERE.
Past experiences shaped my mindset about the nature of a tool called GPS.
Good evening, sir... just some info regarding the obstacles in utilizing GPS technology. According to a geodesy friend, they don’t talk about accuracy but rather precision. They’re aware of the potential errors in a GPS system, and the higher fees for their projects are based on the most precise measurements. This relates back to the GNSS technology used and also the timing of data collection. As I recall, in the field, my supervisor (a geodetic engineer) mentioned that satellites are least available in the morning and evening. At least three satellites need to be detected; if fewer, the coordinate data points can’t be used — it’s no longer about precision but that the points are not fixed.
They understand GPS characteristics, so they don’t just take one or two points; they take thousands and select the best samples based on measurement times in the field (in the context of geodesy/surveying, which relies on selling precise data).
And the GPS devices they use are not typical; they use GPS/GNSS units that cost up to 2 billion rupiah with 5 cm precision. One example is the Navcom.
In the context of general users, it’s not much different… especially with common GPS systems that have a precision level of 5-10 meters. If precise, that is — otherwise, it could be worse depending on terrain. That’s why it’s not uncommon to see a Gojek driver’s location appearing inside buildings while on the move.
In my view, GPS/coordinate data is only an approximation… it’s not absolutely accurate, like 1+1 = 2, but rather uses precision values like 0.000000xxx — the higher the precision, the better.
Just a rough overview, sir... just sharing a bit of theoretical insight gathered from various geodesy surveyors at UGM. Hehe.
