Trimble announced the launch of premium direct georeferencing solutions for mapping sensors on uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) – the Trimble® APX RTX portfolio. When used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and drone payload integrators, their customers can fly around-the-clock in widely variable environments to efficiently and quickly deliver high accuracy, reliable map products. This is made possible by the integration of Trimble CenterPoint® RTX, which enables real-time and post-mission direct georeferencing of camera, LiDAR and hyperspectral mapping sensors on UAVs with centimeter-level accuracy. It achieves this without needing base stations, making mapping more efficient.
This announcement was made at INTERGEO 2024, the world’s leading conference for geodesy, Geoinformation and land management.
The next generation Trimble APX RTX is embedded with new, compact, survey-grade GNSS inertial hardware that delivers real-time positioning and highly accurate roll, pitch and heading measurements. It includes four variants for mapping at different flying heights and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), enabled through greater orientation accuracy. The combination of these features creates a portfolio ranging from entry level up to the smallest, lightest, highest performance solution on the market.
Achieve maximum productivity with best-in-class direct georeferencing capabilities
Further contributing to less rework and greater efficiency, the Trimble APX RTX also includes:
- The Trimble CenterPoint RTX Complete subscription, which includes both the real time CenterPoint RTX subscription and post-processing in POSPac UAV, eliminating the need for a separate POSPac UAV license, fee or internet connection
- Simple, streamlined workflows with corrections delivered via satellite or cellular IP, removing the need for a base station
- Small, single-board GNSS inertial hardware with optional external IMU support for higher orientation accuracy and/or gimbal mount applications
- Next generation on-board high-accuracy microelectromechanical sensors (MEMs) calibrated with the Trimble Applanix SmartCal compensation technology for increased accuracy
- Trimble Applanix IN-Fusion+ multi-sensor aided inertial technology to ensure consistent performance in all environments, featuring Trimble ProPoint® GNSS technology
“Trimble pioneered the use of direct georeferencing more than 25 years ago and innovation in this space remains a focus today,” said Joe Hutton, director of inertial technology and airborne products at Trimble. “Improving upon our solutions is an ongoing effort, guided by our customer’s insights. The APX RTX underscores our commitment to quickly respond to the UAV industry’s advancements with solutions that are more precise, easy to use and accessible to any user.”