BENEFITS OF THE BASE STATION
HOW TO ACHIEVE CENTIMETER-LEVEL ACCURACY IN LINE MARKING
BASE STATION VS CORS NETWORK
In order for your autonomous line marking robot to deliver the most accurate results, it functions on two main localizing technologies. The first one is GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System, a system of artificial satellites. This raw satellite data offers an accuracy of 1-2 meters. To achieve centimeter-level accuracy, your autonomous line marking robot needs to rely on a technology called Real-Time Kinematics, or RTK. This RTK can be accessed either by having a subscription plan to a CORS network provider or through a local base station that can accompany your robot.
Here you can find an infographic that shows the pros and cons of using these technologies to help you make the right decision for your needs.
Conclusions
Considering all the arguments, we see by far that the winner is the base station. You can make sure that your robot delivers the best accuracy wherever on the planet your field is located. You don’t have to worry that your signal data might not be covered in your area, because it comes directly from your local base station.
It is also financially wiser. The base station accompanies the robot, so you don’t have to pay extra for a subscription to access the RTK technology at external providers. This also means that if you might be in need of support, the same team that built the robot makes sure that the components are compatible, and everything works smoothly.
Sure, the downside is that the base station needs a few more minutes in the initial setup to be mounted in a fixed spot, but who would trade this for perfect marking every time?
All Turf Tank autonomous line marking robots can achieve an accuracy of +/- 0.3″ every time, due to its local base station. Find out more about our line marking solutions.