Topic 2 About the Technology

Just like the GPS for hiking or on your phone, the onboard GPS uses satellite communications to calculate the position of the craft. This is often combined with data from the accelerometer to calculate location and speed.

This fusion of sensor data is important as each on its own can’t always give an accurate position. Where GPS uses a triangulation of singles from satellites to find a single location it can be difficult when the aircraft is moving fast. The accelerometer uses the crafts acceleration and angle to calculate its position. It’s a method very similar to an older type of maritime navigation called dead reckoning. With reading reckoning, a ship's position was calculated based on its compass angle, speed, and time it took to travel to the next mark. With drones, the data for these sensors are used to correct each other small errors to get the position accuracy.

For farmers, some drones now come with advanced GPS systems such as RTK. RTK or Real-Time Kinematic is a real-time correction system that combines live connection with satellites, photos, and a known ground station to establish finer accuracy in its location. 

Here is an Australian distributor if you would like more information. https://www.riseabove.com.au/dji-phantom-4-multispectral-combo

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