In September 2023, OxTS sent a team to San Francisco to map the city and collect LiDAR pointcloud data.
The aim of this trip was to test the performance of the new RT3000 v4 Inertial Navigation System (INS) and the effectiveness of using OxTS LiDAR Inertial Odometry (LIO) in improving navigation data.
The RT3000 v4 is the latest GNSS/INS technology from OxTS. It combines our latest IMU10 technology with survey-grade GNSS receivers to output centimetre-level position accuracy. OxTS LIO, is the latest software innovation from OxTS that uses LiDAR to constrain position drift in urban canyons.
Why San Francisco?
San Francisco is one of the standard test grounds for autonomous vehicle testing. It offers a unique combination of wide suburban streets, extreme inclines, urban canyons, tunnels, and rural hill passes making it an excellent test site for navigation technology that traditionally relies on GNSS.
The high-rise buildings covering every side of the road and numerous overhead obstacles made for a very challenging environment in which to collect accurate and reliable navigation data. By utilising OxTS LIO the team was able to stabilise and improve the navigation data even in GNSS-denied environments.
To navigate a built up area accurately, or create a survey-grade LiDAR pointcloud in an urban canyon, you need the most precise navigation data possible throughout the entire trajectory. This can be a real challenge when there are a number of GNSS difficulties such as tall buildings, reflective surfaces, or overhead objects. Consequently, navigating a city using GNSS only at centimetre-level accuracy is almost impossible.
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