GNSS-RTN Role in Transportation Applications: An Outlook

Abstract

Geospatial location service is not only used in measuring ground distances and mapping topography, but has also become vital in many other fields such as aerospace, aviation, natural disaster management, and agriculture, to name but a few. The innovative and multi-disciplinary applications of geospatial data drive technological advancement toward precise and accurate location services available in real-time. Although the RTN technology is currently utilized in a few industries such as precision farming, construction industry, and land survey, the implications of precise real-time location services would be far-reaching and critical to many advanced transportation applications. The GNSS real-time network (RTN) technology, introduced in the mid-1990s, is promising in meeting the needs of automation in most of the advanced transportation applications. This article presents an overview of the GNSS-RTN technology, its current applications in transportation-related fields, and a perspective on the future use of this technology in advanced transportation applications.