South Korea will launch a test operation of a new GPS-based positioning service in October that works without an internet connection, the government said Tuesday.
The system, called the Gridded Virtual Reference Station (G-VRS), provides real-time location data with centimeter-level accuracy, making it useful in remote areas like islands, mountains or fast-moving vehicles that have weak or unstable internet connections.
GPS does not itself require an internet connection but devices typically use VRS systems that do rely on internet access improve location accuracy by creating a virtual network of reference points.
According to the National Geographic Information Institute, the G-VRS is designed to complement the current VRS system.
"(The G-VRS) could be used in various areas using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNNS) information such as delivery and pest control using drones, or automated driving," the institute said in its press release.
It said the G-VRS system has proven accuracy similar to the existing VRS in actual environments.
GNSS control points have been installed across the country, including four on Jeju Island and one in Gageodo, an island off the southwestern coast. The state plans to install additional points on four islands, including Ulleungdo, about 120 kilometers off Korea's eastern coast, to operate 103 control points in total by the end of this year.
A total of 300 people can log onto the test service, information for which will be made available on the homepage of the NGII (www.ngii.go.kr), starting Wednesday.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
