UNION - Undifferenced and UNcombIned PositiOning EngiNe

As shown in the latest technology trends and in EUSPA’s Users Technology Report,  the need of increased accuracy levels has grown steadily and is required by users operating in several mass-market applications, such as but not limited to augmented reality, mapping and GIS, Geocaching, sport tracking and navigation (both for automotive and/or smartphones).

Within this framework, the UNION project comes into play and aims towards the development of a satellite positioning technology for accurate and real-time navigation for mass-market devices, such as smartphones and vehicle navigation units. This goal is to be achieved through the development of two key elements:

• Location Stack (User end): UNION will be based on a new navigation filter for mass-market GNSS which will allow going beyond a smart combination of PPP - RTK techniques.
• Permanent VRS (“Virtual Reference Stations”) Network (Server end): A new concept based on the creation and operation of a permanent network of VRS will enable proper area coverage and one-way operation of GNSS CORS networks, thus ensuring service scalability. This server end will include HAS corrections rebroadcast (via Internet) so that non-E6b receivers can benefit from it.

The goal of the UNION project focuses on the development of a technology that provides accurate and real-time navigation for mass-market devices such as, among others, vehicles, drones, or smartphones.
UNION, as a precise positioning solution, improves:

• continuity, especially in navigation sessions spanning hundreds of kilometres.
• accuracy. UNION will represent a major breakthrough in mass-market oriented navigation solutions, reaching meter–level accuracy.
• availability of precise navigation any time in broad geographical areas.

Challenge and technical solution

The satellite positioning technology developed during the UNION project provides platform-agnostic,  accurate, and scalable navigation for mass-market devices, blending Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) and Precise Point Positioning (PPP) benefits.

The technology utilised within the UNION project is developed and validated for two relevant market segments: consumer solutions (smartphones) and road & automotive (vehicle navigation units), although it can be used in other market segments such as Aviation and drones (drones)