High accuracy vehicle positioning which positions them to within 500mm without correction data is the claims for the UMSZ6 series of GNSS module, developed by Alps Alpine and Furuno.
Being able to realise accurate positioning to within 50cm without correction data is a first for automotive applications, says Alps Alpine. Typical roads are approximately three metres wide which enables the module to reliably position vehicles within a lane for V2X applications and autonomous driving. Mass production is scheduled for 2023 and in the time leading up to the commercial availability, the partners say they will be making efforts to enhance the performance with evaluations and demonstration testing.
In the autonomous driving domain, a growing number of vehicles on the road have Level 2 automated driving capability, allowing them to autonomously follow the vehicle in front under certain conditions while staying in their lane. Cars capable of Level 3 automated driving, where the system carries out all driving tasks but under restricted conditions, such as during motorway or low speed driving, have also been developed and some are already on the market, says Alps Alpine. The spread of Level 3 autonomous vehicles and further advances in autonomous driving functionality will depend on the availability of vehicle positioning that is more user-friendly and even more accurate, believes the company.
The UMSZ6 Series GNSS Module realises high-accuracy vehicle positioning to within 500mm even without having to use position correction data through the use of a multi-frequency GNSS receiver chip based on Furuno’s Extended Carrier Aiding technology. Running costs associated with RTK4 base stations, correction data receiving and correction data use are no longer needed.
The jointly developed module uses Alps Alpine’s expertise in module creation for the compact dimensions of 17.8 x 18.0 x 3.11mm.
Furuno has developed and supplies the eRideOPUS 9 (model ePV9000B) multi-frequency GNSS receiver chip and algorithm. Alps Alpine is using the chip before anyone else to create and commercialise the UMSZ6 series GNSS module. It will carry out evaluations within a real-car environment to assess performance and interoperability with V2X and other communication modules.
Hideo Izumi, vice president, device business, Alps Alpine, commented: “Relative vehicle positioning accuracy is constantly improving as a result of mmWave radar, lidar and camera technology. Achieving absolute position accuracy down to the lane level is essential for both V2X applications and genuine Level 3 automated driving, but system-related costs associated with RTK technology have been an obstacle” He believes the combination of the multi-frequency GNSS receiver chip based on Furuno’s Extended Carrier Aiding technology, will be a breakthrough in V2X and advanced autonomous driving technology.
The GNSS module can be used for telematics control units and V2X onboard units.
