Positioning by GNSS via smartphones: brief history and contextualization of new tools and technologies

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to rescue the history of the means of obtaining geolocation in external environments, emphasizing smartphones with Android operating system and the use of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver present in it. In addition, the main tools and technologies related to the theme are presented, some promising results regarding the positional quality that can be obtained today, as well as the challenges and future perspectives of this object on the world stage. Because the technological advances aimed at mobile devices, such as smartphones, smartwatches and tablets, several applications have emerged that move important segments of the global market. Currently, mobile devices have several sensors, which enable hundreds of applications and functionalities. In this sense, the GNSS receiver present in these devices stands out for supporting geolocation with greater accuracy in external environments. Positioning from sensors present in mobile devices has been gaining updates and improvements as technological innovations emerge. Among the innovations in this theme, the possibility of acquiring raw GNSS data from certain devices with an Android operating system equal to or greater than the Nougat version stands out. In this way, the user can obtain essential information, such as information on the phase of the carrier wave, which corroborates with obtaining more accurate coordinates. In the same way, the emergence of smartphones that employ multi-GNSS receivers, such as the Xiaomi mi 8, can contribute to a higher quality of positioning. Allied to these innovations and from certain positioning methods, it is currently possible to obtain coordinates with accuracy at the centimeter level from smartphones.