Precision GNSS

RTK Applications: Heavy Duty Vehicles

RTK technology is revolutionizing the heavy-duty machinery sector, offering 1 centimeter precision and safety across various applications. By enabling centimeter-level accuracy, RTK technology facilitates safer and more efficient use of machinery, such as in reverse parking of trucks, monitoring of mining vehicles, and navigation of cranes. It also plays a crucial role in collision avoidance and automated operations, providing significant improvements in productivity and safety. Not familiar with RTK yet? Learn in 5 min how RTK works here.

Airport vehicles tracking

Airport GPS trackers track all assets in real-time as they move around outside the airport terminals and more expansive outdoor spaces. GPS devices provide an exact, up-to-date location, or even historical location data. RTK technology can improve the accuracy of this data up to 1 centimeter. This precision is essential for preventing collisions and ensuring safety on the tarmac. RTK helps manage the movements of service vehicles like baggage carts and fuel trucks efficiently. RTK optimizes vehicle routing, reducing delays and improving operational efficiency. The technology ensures vehicles stay within designated areas, enhancing overall safety. RTK’s accuracy is key for coordinating complex airport ground operations.

Automated Cranes Operations

RTK technology is revolutionizing crane operations in the transportation, construction, and manufacturing industries by enhancing precision and safety. Cranes, a vital part of the heavy lifting segment, increasingly utilize remote operation, relying on precise positioning, data, and communication for efficient functioning. By equipping cranes with sophisticated sensors, the position of moving parts and loads can be accurately measured and facilitate utomatic operation. These sensors transmit data to a remote control center via radio link, where RTK corrections are provided to the crane’s GPS system. This setup not only determines the crane’s exact position but also precisely guides the boom to the load, ensuring accurate pickup and placement.

Collision Avoidance System (CAS)

RTK technology is revolutionizing safety protocols in heavy-duty machinery through advanced Collision Warning systems. By delivering centimeter-level accuracy, RTK provides the precision necessary for immediate and situation-specific alerts. Explore 3 ways of getting centimeter level position. With its capability for real-time data processing, the system ensures operators receive prompt notifications about imminent dangers, significantly reducing the likelihood of accidents. This technology not only safeguards the machinery and its operators but also boosts their confidence by enabling smarter, safer decision-making. Collision warning system easily adapts to various heavy-duty machinery types, ensuring broad applicability. This investment in high-level safety technology is crucial for companies aiming to improve their operational security and minimize the financial and human cost of accidents.

Construction Vehicle Tracking

RTK technology significantly enhances the tracking and management of heavy machinery such as excavators and bulldozers, providing precise, centimeter-level positioning. By integrating RTK systems into these vehicles, operators and site managers gain the ability to monitor machine locations in real-time, ensuring that the equipment is efficiently utilized and reducing the time spent on locating machinery across large construction sites. For excavators, RTK improves the accuracy of digging and grading tasks, enabling operators to follow project specifications with high precision, which minimizes the need for rework and saves valuable time and resources. Explore more use cases how RTK can improve Construction and Engineering Survey.

Drill Guidance

Drilling operations in the mining industry can be improved with RTK by providing high positioning accuracy. High Precision Drilling solutions based on the RTK Starter kits allow mining companies to achieve unprecedented drilling accuracy and ensure precise positioning and height of each hole, significantly improving the quality and results of drilling operations. Miners can strictly follow their drilling plans, optimize resource extraction and reduce losses. Integrating RTK technology with software is transforming drill and blast operations, increasing operational efficiency and driving cost savings.

Geo-fencing

Geo-fencing with RTK technology is transforming the management and security of heavy machinery on construction sites. This high-precision positioning tool creates virtual boundaries or geo-fences that can track and control the movement of construction equipment within specific zones. RTK geo-fencing ensures machinery operates only within safe zones, reducing the risk of accidents and enhancing worker safety. It helps ensure that operations comply with site regulations and environmental guidelines by controlling where machinery can operate.  The system sends instant notifications if machinery moves outside its geo-fenced area, allowing for quick response to potential security or safety issues.

Mining Fleets Optimization

Automating mining with RTK technology boosts efficiency and safety. Self-driving heavy vehicles have transformed mining over the past twenty-five years. An autonomous system allows excavators to load trucks precisely and quickly. Using scanning range finders, it identifies trucks and avoids obstacles. It adjusts its actions based on soil conditions, improving effectiveness. These advances in automation and RTK technology lead to higher productivity and safety. They allow for the handling of complex tasks with great accuracy.Check out how how RTK improves Mine Survey.

Smart moving barrier

Smart moving traffic barriers equipped with RTK receivers offer a modern alternative to traditional static barriers. Unlike traditional barriers, which require heavy machinery for relocation, these barriers are remotely controlled, enabling safe and precise movement. They can move with centimeter-level precision, adapting to operational demands by closing or opening lanes as needed. For short-term projects like paving, routine maintenance, or lane closures during rush hour, these barriers provide a smarter and safer solution. Although they resemble traditional barriers on the outside, their advanced technology represents the future of road safety and management. This solution is quite new. If you are developing something similar, we invite you to check out the simpleRTK2B SBC – Development Kit, a customizable and programmable dual-band GPS/GNSS RTK Single Board Computer. Thanks to its onboard STM32 microprocessor and u-blox ZED-F9 modules, it can achieve centimeter-level accuracy in seconds.

Road Construction Machinery

RTK technology significantly improves road construction productivity thanks to integration into asphalt pavers and motor graders. By providing centimeter-level positioning accuracy, RTK ensures precise asphalt placement, resulting in smoother roads and improved ride quality. For asphalt pavers, RTK technology allows precise control of screed height, ensuring uniform thickness and a level surface across the entire pavement. This precision reduces material waste and ensures optimal use of asphalt, contributing to cost savings and environmental benefits. Check out the our customer’s project about measuring ground settlement before a construction work with centimeter precision.

Self-Parking Truck

Integrating RTK technology into vehicles significantly improves the quality of reverse parking. This advanced system provides centimeter-accurate positioning for all vehicle types, making reversing maneuvers safer and more precise. It effectively prevents potential accidents such as jackknifing by closely monitoring the angles between the vehicle and attached trailers, offering detailed steering instructions and improved visibility when parking. For heavy trucks, RTK-enabled driver assistance systems enhance autonomous parking at loading docks and other facilities. These systems include Dock Assist, which helps drivers position trucks near docks before autonomously completing a parking maneuver, and Autonomous Self-Docking, which independently steers a truck into a dock without driver intervention. Achieving this requires centimeter-level GPS accuracy and sub-degree vehicle attitude (heading). The affordable simpleRTK2B Heading – Basic Starter Kit can provide these capabilities.

Snow Groomer Tracker

Integrating GNSS-RTK kits into snow grooming machines significantly enhances snow depth measurement and management at ski resorts. This technology allows for precise tracking of snow depth variations. The system may be able to transmit measurements to a server in real-time and access them via a dedicated platform. The operators can now monitor snow conditions directly from the groomer, with data also being sent to the office for comprehensive analysis across multiple machines. This innovation not only streamlines grooming operations but also supports strategic decision-making, leading to cost savings. The resorts optimize grooming paths, ensure consistent snow conditions, and ultimately enhance the overall skiing experience.