Recent advances and applications of low-cost GNSS receivers : a review

Hamza, Veton (author), Stopar, Bojan (author), Sterle, Oskar (author), Pavlovčič Prešeren, Polona (author)

Low-cost (LC) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers are argued as an alternative solution to geodetic GNSS counterparts for different applications. Single-frequency low-cost (SF-LC) GNSS receivers have been in the market for many years while their inability to acquire GNSS observations in second frequency limited their use. A few years ago, dual-frequency low-cost (DF-LC) GNSS receivers with enhanced capabilities entered the mass market, considering the advancements they have been tested and evaluated by many researchers. Lastly, multi-frequency low-cost (MF-LC) GNSS receivers become available. With the ability to track more satellite signals, these GNSS receivers are expected to obtain better overall performance. This review article aims to analyze recent advances and applications of LC GNSS receivers. To provide answers to the research question relevant articles were selected and analyzed. From the reviewed articles, it was concluded that the performance of SF-LC and DF-LC GNSS receivers is comparable to that of geodetic counterparts only in open-sky conditions. However, in adverse conditions, the differences become more highlighted. In such environments, SF and DF-LC GNSS receivers face challenges not only with positioning quality but also with their proper work. Limited studies on MF-LC receivers have reported comparable observations and positioning performance to geodetic GNSS receivers. Despite drawbacks, LC GNSS receivers have been successfully applied in surveying, mapping, geodetic monitoring, precision agriculture, navigation, atmosphere monitoring, Earth surface monitoring, and other fields.

• Language: English
• Keywords: GNSS, applications, low-cost GNSS sensors, low-cost GNSS technology
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 29, iss. 1, art. 56
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-166858
• UDC: 528
• ISSN on article: 1521-1886
• DOI: 10.1007/s10291-025-01815-x
• COBISS.SI-ID: 224162819
• Publication date in RUL: 28.01.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: GPS solutions
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• ISSN: 1521-1886
• COBISS.SI-ID: 512479769

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: GNSS, uporabe, nizkocenovni GNSS senzorji, nizkocenovna GNSS tehnologija