Researchers of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Delft University of Technology, and VSL announced on Wednesday, November 16, the development of an alternative positioning system that is more robust and accurate than GPS, especially in urban settings.
As per the researchers’ claims, the working prototype achieved an accuracy of 10 centimetres.
What are GPS and its limitations?
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather, day or night, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.
However, researchers debate that these US GPS or EU Galileo, which rely on global navigation satellite systems, have limitations and vulnerabilities. The researchers also add that their radio signals are weak when received on Earth, and accurate positioning is no longer possible if the radio signals are reflected or blocked by buildings.