Fixposition Vision-RTK sensor tested on Neolix delivery vehicle at EPFL
Fixposition AG visited the ADORE project at EPFL campus on November 25th. This project was under the coordination of Mobility Lab, Neolix, the autonomous vehicle developer, manufacturer, and service provider, and Swiss Post, which provides an autonomous food delivery service to different destinations across the campus. Fixposition is currently collaborating with Neolix in order to supply the vehicle with a highly reliable, highly accurate positioning system, the Fixposition Vision-RTK sensor and the RTK[1] correction service.
Currently, the vehicle is accompanied by a safety driver who monitors the car to ensure safety and smooth operation and, if need be, take control of the vehicle. This happens most often in areas where GNSS[2] satellite signals are limited or not available. Navigating under bridges, on narrow roads between high buildings, and under the roof of the Rolex Learning Center are areas which can create navigational challenges. In such cases the car will stop moving and the safety driver will be required to take control until the shuttle returns to an area with adequate satellite reception.
After seeing the delivery vehicle in operation and gaining a deeper understanding of the current limitations, Fixposition has now mounted their recently announced Vision-RTK Evaluation Kit on the vehicle. The goal is to collect data and evaluate the performance of the Fixposition Vision-RTK sensor. According to the data collected to date (see some examples at the end of this article), it is clearly seen that the Vision-RTK sensor does provide a more reliable positioning output, especially in GNSS-challenged areas. With the integration of the Vision-RTK and its advanced algorithms that fuse computer vision, RTK GNSS and inertial inputs, Fixposition aims to show improved reliability of the autonomous vehicle and reduce the need for a safety driver to take control.
As a young startup, Fixposition is constantly improving its Vision-RTK product based on the needs and feedback of customers. As a partner of the ADORE project and with the recent onsite visit, Fixpositon hopes to further strengthen the collaboration with Neolix and improve the operation of their autonomous delivery vehicles.
On the other hand, Neolix aspires to lead the future smart city way of life with state-of-the-art technologies. Empowered by autonomous driving, 5G communications, Internet of Vehicles, intelligent hardware and autonomous vehicle gigafactory, Neolix has commercially deployed vehicles in hundreds of scenarios globally to build smart services ecosystem along with trusted partners and provide consumers with superior experience.
Fixposition Vision-RTK v.s. RTK only solution:
- Video
2. The complete track from Fixposition Vision-RTK
One can clearly see that Vision-RTK solution in purple maintain cm-level accuracy position everywhere in the complete delivery route, whereas the RTK only solution (in yellow and red) has wrong position up to meters in areas under the bridge.
3. Across Rolex learning center:
Fixposition Vision-RTK (in blue) maintains high accuracy even under the roof cover, whereas the RTK-only solution jumps around with deviation up to several meters.
[1] RTK: Real Time Kinematic is a differential GNSS carrier phase based positioning technology which can achieve cm level positioning accuracy.
[2] GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System which includes GPS, Galileo BeiDou and Glonass
For more information, please visit www.fixposition.com.
