Comparing Network RTK and Own RTK Base Station for Lateral Tracking in GNSS-Based Navigation: An Autonomous Golf Cart Study

This study investigates the impact of utilizing a network RTK and our own RTK base station on the lateral tracking performance of a GNSS-based navigation system. The experiment employs an adaptive PID controller and compares the performance of both methods on an autonomous golf cart. The tracking path, composed of straight and curve segments, is manually generated based on the network RTK. The adaptive PID controller, with the gains tuned based on the slope of the path, is used to perform the tracking based on the real-time positioning observed from the network RTK as well as our own RTK base station. The results demonstrate that both network RTK and our own RTK base station achieve acceptable tracking performance, with lateral errors remaining within acceptable limits. Our own RTK base station exhibits slightly lower lateral errors compared to the network RTK, indicating improved tracking accuracy. However, setting up and maintaining our own RTK base station requires a more complex process and additional costs for an extra GNSS receiver. Hence, the choice between the two methods involves a trade-off between enhanced performance and the associated complexities.