A low-cost PDGNSS-based sensor network for landslide monitoring – challenges, possibilities, and prospects

Abstract

Simple navigation receivers can be used for positioning with sub-centimeter accuracy in a wireless sensor network if the read-out of the carrier phase (CP) data is possible and all data are permanently broadcast to a central processing computer. At this base station an automated near real-time processing takes place and a precise differential GNSS-based positioning of the involved sensor nodes is computed. The paper describes the technical principles of such a system with its essential demands for the sensing, the communication, and the computing components. First experiences in a research project related to landslide monitoring are depicted. Of course the developed system can also be embedded for location finding in a widespread multifunctional geo sensor network. The quality of the obtained result is restricted due to the fact that the CP measurements must be recorded over a certain time span, usually a few minutes for every independent position solution. As far as possible a modular structure with commercial off-the-shelf components, e.g. standard wireless local area network for communication, and in cooperation of existing proofed and powerful program tools is chosen. Open interfaces are used as far as possible.

Keywords:

• low-cost precise differential GNSS (LC PDGNSS)
• near real-time processing (NRTP)
• wireless sensor networks (WSNs)
• geo sensor networks (GSNs)
• landslide monitoring
• data acquisition

Acknowledgements

The alpEWAS project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) in the geoscientific research and development program ‘Geotechnologien.’