Robotics StackExchange | Archived questions

GPS module for robot car

Could anyone recommend a good/accurate GPS module for robot car outdoor navigation? I am thinking about $100-200 price range. Must have ROS support. What kind of accuracy I can get for this price range?

Asked by AutoCar on 2018-12-20 00:49:52 UTC

Comments

Any one used GPS module?

Asked by AutoCar on 2018-12-20 19:21:22 UTC

Answers

I've used the Venus and uBlox GPS modules from sparkfun.com and I've been quite happy with them. They both have low-voltage serial outputs, so they're not plug-and-play with a desktop PC or laptop. You'd need to get one of the FTDI USB to serial convertors with the appropriate voltage to connect them over USB. These are both GPS receivers with WAAS, so they have an accuracy of a meter or two under good conditions.

You may also want to browse the ROS Sensors wiki page for a longer list of GPS and INS (inertial navigation) sensors that are supported by ROS.

I've also used systems from Applanix and Oxford Technical Solutions at work. They're quite good and provide incredible accuracy (<0.1m), particularly when used with a base station, but they're also very expensive.

Asked by ahendrix on 2018-12-20 22:11:16 UTC

Comments

Thank you for your answer. 1 or 2 meter error is too big for me. Can you tell me how much does the Oxford GPS cost and physical dimension?

Asked by AutoCar on 2018-12-21 01:17:04 UTC

My boss purchased our Oxford unit, so I'm not sure how much it cost, and they don't have prices on their website. I think it was tens of thousands of dollars, or maybe more.

Asked by ahendrix on 2018-12-21 01:30:43 UTC

I don't think you will find a GPS in the $100-$200 price range with the accuracy that you're looking for; the accuracy of the GPS signal isn't that good, and the high-end units are compensating for that by using very expensive gyroscopes and/or a GPS RTK basestation.

Asked by ahendrix on 2018-12-21 01:34:09 UTC

I've been using the uBlox Chips and they're doing good. As ahendrix already stated, do all the chips in this price range have an offset between 0.5 to 2 meters. If you are willing to put much effort into it I recommend you this

Asked by Karax31 on 2018-12-21 04:09:53 UTC