Metropolitan area geographic positioning system using Kytoons

Abstract

Kytoon based navigation and radio positioning using concepts underlying Global Positioning System (GPS) are advocated for a low cost Metropolitan Area Geographic Positioning System (MAGPS). Technological implications of achieving the positioning accuracies offered by the Precise Positioning Service (PPS) in this context are examined. Analogous to the concept of differential GPS(DGPS) system the design implications for improving accuracy are out-lined. Stabilized Kytoons (four for 3-dimensional position) are required o be hoisted in appropriate locations in the Metropolitan Area so that the entire city comes within the line of sight of all the Kytoons. These Kytoons provide on independent active reference for position determination. Describing the principles of aero-dynamic design of kytoons, the spatial stability as it affects position measurements are examined and approaches to their correction suggested. Borrowing design principles from the DGPS as employed in the erstwhile differential Omega and Transit System, the design of the kytoon based differential geographic positioning system can be optimized. While ionospheric and tropospheric errors found in DGPS are avoided here, the ephemeris(position) errors, clock errors, multi-path and receiver errors are relevant, though, in a controlled manner, and do not pose much problem due to the much tower distance between the kytoons and the user receiver. From these considerations, it is shown that the performance using differential operation gets substantially improved in the kytoon based DGPS. Among the applications, the measurement of several types of pollutions over the city, ground truth, utility mapping, vehicle location, tracking etc. are recommended. The cost effectiveness of kytoons makes such a system a low cost proposition.