How does Real-time Kinematics (RTK) work?

The RTK workflow relies on three core components working together.

Satellite signals: RTK workflows begin with signals transmitted by GNSS networks, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou. Multiple satellites broadcast timing and orbital data, which receivers on the ground use to calculate their approximate position.

Base stations (or a CORS network): Base stations are basically GNSS receivers placed in precise locations that continuously broadcast correction data to compensate for positioning errors. If setting up a base station is impractical, CORS networks of permanent referencing stations stream corrections via the internet – so you don’t need to deploy stations on-site.

Roving receivers: Receivers mounted to backpacks, vehicles, or drones pick up the same satellite signals as base stations. By applying GNSS and correction data in real time, they can position themselves with centimeter-level accuracy. The resulting point cloud is drift-corrected and accurately placed within real-world coordinates, without any need for physical markers.

During post-processing, specialized software intelligently combines RTK position data with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) reference data, selecting whichever source offers the highest positional quality at any given moment.

Using RTK data, it’s possible to avoid placing physical ground control points (GCPs) in the scene – they serve the same fundamental purpose: tying a 3D scan to a known coordinate system. GCPs require line of sight to each target, making them impractical across large or hazardous areas. Replacing them in overground projects can save hours of field time.

A single base station works well within a limited radius, but its corrections lose accuracy the further the rover travels from it. Network RTK (NRTK) removes that constraint by drawing on a network of permanent reference stations instead of one local base.

Rather than relying on the nearest physical station, NRTK services model GNSS errors across the whole network and generate a virtual reference station (VRS) close to the rover’s actual position. The rover then receives corrections as if a base were set up just meters away – even when the nearest real station is tens of kilometers off. The result is consistent, centimeter-level accuracy across a far wider working area, with no base station to deploy or guard.

NRTK suits large or mobile projects e.g. long road and rail corridors, citywide mapping, or any survey that ranges beyond a single station’s reliable radius. A local base station remains the better option on remote sites with no coverage, or where a dedicated link offers closer control.

When it comes to capturing large environments at pace, Artec Jet offers the perfect solution. The device navigates and maps areas of over 100km² with LiDAR 3D scanning. Artec Jet can be mounted to a drone for surveying, carried on a backpack for scanning on foot, or fitted to a vehicle for capture on the road.

This flexibility means Artec Jet is able to cover everything from overhead topographic mapping to ground-level infrastructure inspection – while remaining adaptable to users’ project needs.

Combining advanced AI and SLAM algorithms allows Artec Jet to digitize GNSS-denied environments fully autonomously. Where RTK signals are available, the device can be used to scan outdoor areas with even greater accuracy.

AEC and construction

Construction sites change daily. Artec Jet makes it straightforward to track progress and monitor earthworks or building facades as they spring up, while offering the flexibility to fit around an active schedule. That output feeds directly into as-built documentation, progress verification, and clash detection against designs, supporting 3D scanning for AEC workflows.

RTK helps make these scans comparable over time. Because each scan is georeferenced to the same coordinate system, progress and deviations are clear to see. That georeferenced foundation is also what makes a scan-to-BIM workflow dependable: models built from accurately placed data slots seamlessly into BIM environments for tasks downstream.

Surveying and mapping

Artec Jet surveys rapidly in any deployment mode, producing dense, colorized point clouds across terrain that would take traditional survey crews days to cover. Its SLAM-based engine maintains tracking even in feature-sparse environments, so operators can work continuously without stopping to set up targets.

Adding RTK into the mix ensures that each scan is automatically placed in a real-world coordinate system. This is useful for repeat surveying, as follow-up scans are genuinely comparable. Volumetric changes, whether it be stockpile shifts, erosion, or structural settlement, can also be quantified directly, with confidence that positional drift isn’t inflating the numbers.

Forestry

Dense canopy and uneven terrain make forestry one of the most demanding environments for traditional surveying. Attaching Artec Jet to a drone allows it to capture the upper canopy and overall terrain model, while backpack or handheld scanning fills in finer details.

The device’s SLAM engine tracks position continuously through areas where satellite visibility is intermittent. RTK grounds that local tracking in global coordinates, so outputs from multiple passes and modes register accurately to one another. For canopy analysis, terrain modeling, and biomass estimation, that registered accuracy matters: small positional errors compound across large areas, and RTK keeps them from accumulating.

In agriculture, RTK-georeferenced 3D mapping also supports field topography surveys and drainage planning, providing centimeter-accurate models for actionable, reliable analysis.

Mining

In mining, haul roads degrade quickly under heavy loads and need frequent condition assessments to avoid safety incidents. Artec Jet mounted to a survey vehicle can cover kilometers of road in a single pass, capturing surface detail at the speed of normal traffic without disrupting operations.

Resulting point clouds include ruts, subsidence, and edge erosion at a resolution that’s sufficient for applications in maintenance planning. RTK georeferencing means each survey sits in the same coordinate frame, so road condition changes are measurable rather than estimated. For mines, that repeatable, documented accuracy supports audit trails – and helps prioritize maintenance before degradation becomes a reportable hazard.

Civil infrastructure

Urban environments present a mix of access constraints. Overhead obstacles limit drone coverage, traffic restricts where vehicles can stop, and street furniture like traffic lights create complex geometry. Mounting Artec Jet to a moving vehicle allows you to capture streets and building facades continuously, covering entire districts in a single session.

Applications include planning models, road condition assessments, and heritage documentation at a level of detail not achievable with aerial drone data alone. RTK ties every point in the scan to city-level or national coordinate systems, making it straightforward to integrate datasets into existing GIS infrastructure and overlay new captures against planning baselines.

Public safety

Any major incident, whether it be a flood, landslide, or structural collapse needs documenting before it’s disturbed. Artec Jet enables first responders to scan affected areas from a distance: by drone over flood zones, unstable slopes, or fire-damaged structures, or via vehicle along compromised road corridors. A single pass records structural damage at a resolution that supports assessment, incident reconstruction, and access/evacuation planning.

RTK ensures that data is georeferenced, so it can be shared directly with engineering teams, command centers, or other agencies. Placing captured data in a common coordinate system also makes repeat scans directly comparable, turning one-off documentation into a monitoring tool for longer-term hazard and recovery management.

Defense

In defense, many old military bases, warehouses, and stockpiles are being returned to service – and reactivation starts with understanding the current condition of infrastructure that may have sat idle for years. Artec Jet captures entire sites in a single visit, from perimeter roads to building interiors, whether mounted to a vehicle for high-speed mapping or carried on foot.

RTK anchors captured data to a real-world coordinate system, producing a precise digital record of sites as they stand. Accurate as-built models allow refurbishments to be planned against actual conditions rather than outdated drawings. Investment can then be directed towards the roads, buildings, and utilities where it's needed most.

RTK is only becoming more capable and easier to access. As more satellites come online across GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou, multi-constellation receivers gain more signals to work with, improving reliability in obstructed environments. Emerging low-Earth-orbit (LEO) positioning services promise faster signal acquisition and stronger coverage to come.

Another big shift is being seen in integration. Combining RTK with SLAM-based LiDAR allows for high-accuracy capture with real-time spatial awareness. Autonomous mapping is already changing the game in areas like AEC, mining, and surveying. Georeferenced, survey-grade data is fast becoming the industry standard – and devices like Artec Jet are bringing this capability to even more users, with flexible deployment by hand, on foot, via vehicle, or onboard a drone.