The need to understand and measure the world around us is driving continued demand for georeferencing services, particularly LiDAR surveying. To provide a truly comprehensive service, surveying organisations need to find ways to solve the challenge of georeferencing in environments where there is no GNSS signal, such as indoors, underground, or even in built environments where GNSS signal is present, but unreliable.
In this blog, we’re sharing how our new product, WayFinder, can help you overcome the challenge of GNSS-denied localisation and give you better survey data.
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What is WayFinder?
WayFinder is a ready-to-deploy solution designed for applications where GNSS signal is weak or nonexistent. Here it is:
WayFinder is designed to work out of the box to provide accurate localisation data in any environment, even if GNSS signal is blocked or patchy. It does this using a combination of GNSS/INS, LiDAR, and camera data from integrated sensors. Depending on your particular survey, you can use the data from WayFinder’s integrated LiDAR to conduct your survey, streamlining your setup and speeding up survey times.
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Use LiDAR data to improve georeferencing accuracy
WayFinder uses a unique software called LiDAR Boost to convert raw LiDAR data into velocity and position updates that the GNSS/INS can use to constrain position drift when GNSS signal is patchy or completely blocked. This enables you to maximise the amount of accurate localisation data you get from a survey run, or to gather localisation data in areas where a GNSS/INS by itself isn’t reliable.
WayFinder also enables you to transition seamlessly from localising using GNSS data to localising without GNSS using LiDAR Boost, and back again, so your survey can cover a wide range of environments without the need to pause and reset or reconfigure. Surveyors can use this to create surveying solutions that provide accurate georeferencing data whether surveying indoors or out.
Best of all, WayFinder works out of the box. All you need to do is connect it to your survey scanner – LiDAR, photogrammetry, hyperspectral imaging, and more – initialise, and go.
Real-time localisation speeds up workflows
OxTS customers may already have come across OxTS LIO, which uses LiDAR data to improve position accuracy. WayFinder essentially runs the same process as LIO, but in real time. That ability, combined with OxTS Georeferencer’s capabilities, gives LiDAR surveyors a smooth workflow for delivering finished point cloud surveys to clients – with or without GNSS. Surveyors gathering other data can still enjoy smoother workflows thanks to the improved accuracy of their source data.
Want to learn more about WayFinder?
Hopefully this post has shown you how you can achieve robust localisation data in whatever environment you’re operating for georeferencing.If you’re interested in learning more about the technology behind WayFinder, you can download the datasheet, and product brochure here.
WayFinder Datasheet
The WayFinder datasheet is your window into the specifications and data you can expect to achieve when using WayFinder in areas without GNSS.
WayFinder Product Brochure
Learn more about the inner workings of WayFinder and the applications for which it can be used with the WayFinder product brochure.
Alternatively, if you’d like to discuss adding WayFinder to your surveying solutions, get in touch with us by completing the form below.
