Testing Capabilities of Locata Positioning System for Displacement Measurements

GNSS has limitations or cannot be applied in specific environments with poor geometry like city streets, tunnels, bridges, quarries, mines, ports or in indoor environment in general. In 2003 Locata Corporation from Australia began with the development of a new, completely independent technology called Locata, which was designed to overcome the limitations of GNSS. The paper will display capabilities of Locata positioning system for determining simulated displacements. For that purpose, LocataNet consisting of six LocataLite signal transmitters was established in an open field. As all LocataLite transmitter were set up on the ground, the network geometry was not adequate for vertical positioning and only horizontal displacements were determined. After initialization of the Locata rover, different horizontal displacements were introduced by moving rover antenna. Displacements of magnitudes from 0.5 to 2.0 cm and in different directions were introduced. Positions of the rover after each introduced displacement were determined from single difference carrier phase measurements. From determined positions, displacements were calculated and compared to the true value of displacements. The results shown that Locata positioning system is capable to determine sub-centimeter level displacements.