Trimble has announced that it has supplied Global Positioning System (GPS) Virtual Reference Station (VRSTM) software to OC GIS Vlaanderen – GIS Flanders – to establish FLEPOS (Flemish Positioning Service), which provides networked real-time kinematic (RTK) service across the Flemish Region (Vlaanderen) of northern Belgium. The core infrastructure service is monitored and operated by GIS Flanders. GPS users throughout the Flemish Region can utilize the service for surveying, construction, navigation, asset management, agriculture and forestry.
The establishment of FLEPOS follows other Trimble infrastructure project successes. These include: the Japanese Geographical Survey Institute Nationwide Network; Queensland VRS in Australia; VRS network in Switzerland for the Swiss government; GPSnet.dk, the VRS network in Denmark; GPS reference stations for the General Lighthouse Authority Network around the coast of Great Britain; the Channel Tunnel Rail Link RTK Network; and the Zurich International Airport Expansion Project.
About FLEPOS
The GPS network, called FLEPOS, is managed by Trimble GPSNetTM, RTKNetTM and Webserver software. GIS Flanders is currently installing the network to make the service operational and available to GPS users throughout northern Belgium.
VRS technology overcomes previous limitations with high precision GPS by utilizing data from a network of reference stations to model the error sources within the network. The system significantly reduces these systematic errors to improve reliability and operating range. Standard format RTK messages are transmitted via GSM cellar telephones to users in the field within the network area. This allows a user to increase the distance at which the rover receiver is located from the physical reference stations while improving on-the-fly (OTF) initialization times.
Traditionally, for precise GPS applications surveying, construction, precision farming and high accuracy Geographic Information System (GIS)-roving receivers required a reference station within 10 kilometers to ensure centimeter level accuracy. With VRS, users within the network can operate consistently at greater distances without degrading accuracy. Additionally, users can retrieve stored GPS and modeled data from the control center via the Internet for post-processing. Trimble Terrasat developed the VRS software suite.
