The virtual base station feature in SBG’s Qinertia computes a virtual network around a project in which position accuracy is maximized, homogeneous and robust, the company said. (Photo: SBG Systems)

SBG Systems has released a virtual base station (VBS) feature in Qinertia, its in-house GNSS and inertial navigation system (INS) post-processing software. According to the company, trajectory and orientation are greatly improved by processing inertial data and raw GNSS observables in forward and backward directions.

The VBS computes a virtual network around a project in which position accuracy is maximized, homogeneous and robust like a PPK short baseline, SBG said. Once surveyors collect data, Qinertia chooses the most relevant reference stations, builds a virtual network and brings the project to the centimetric accuracy with no jump on accuracy nor convergence effects, even in urban areas.

According to SBG, it has worked to offer a VBS which takes the most out of any GNSS receivers from different brands and models — with different configurations or constellations — and even with different coordinate systems. Qinertia automatically adjusts the VBS network to compensate for any base station position inaccuracy and provides full quality control indicators to assess the expected accuracy and reliability, the company added. Qinertia VBS technology can mix users base stations with permanent network base stations to improve accuracy in remote locations.

Finally, Qinertia automatically selects the best positioning technology that applies to a user’s project, whether it is a single base station mode, the virtual base stations mode or a precise point positioning computation. Despite this, users can still take control and make adjustments — like — while Qinertia automatically re-checks and re-computes all parameters simultaneously to validate the accuracy and consistency.