After a couple of hours messing with various settings my Theta X is now configured to use A-GPS via an Android phone hotspot. Whilst this will hopefully give quicker positions from a cold start, and perhaps positions where GNSS alone may not work due to satellite geometry, I do not anticipate that this will result in more accurate positions. I see that the GNSS chip receives SBAS signals which would improve accuracy. Has anyone asked Ricoh this question and/otr looked into whether this signal can be used in the Theta X (or upcoming models ?
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How can you tell that the chip receives SBAS? If it is more accurate, why wouldn’t all phone use SBAS? There must be some downside, right?
It’s likely that this type of device could work with the THETA X as the THETA Z1 is listed as a compatible camera.
You could try send them an email and confirm if the THETA X is compatible.
The spec. sheet of the Ublox chipset and the Ricoh documentation indicates that it is SBAS capable. SBAS is a worldwide service primarily used in transportation tracking, approx. 3m accuracy as opposed to approx, 5m for GNSS, and is delivered in regional flavours, such as EGNOS in Europe, (where a signup is required). For Ricoh to integrate this into their software may not be a worthwhile ROI for them, which I fully understand.
I have considered REDCATCH and it is a very good solution at a great price. I am using my Theta X on outdoor projects with CupixVista and I am looking to see whether using the A-GPS or SBAS improves the results I am getting.
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I’ll submit community feedback in a general report. Are you referring to this documentation?
Reach the full potential of RICOH THETA X with built-in GPS l RICOH360 Blog
In addition to support for GLONASS and MICHIBIKI (QZSS), THETA X also supports A-GPS (Assisted GPS), increasing its potential for highly accurate location information.
Indoors and in other environments where the built-in GPS might not acquire location information it is still possible to add location information by connecting to the smartphone app via wireless LAN or Bluetooth just as with previous THETA models, which required a smartphone to get the location information.
GPS Specifications：
GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, SBAS(WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS, GAGAN), A-GPS
Are you looking for button on the menu that enables SBAS?
Note that I’m not familiar with the terminology. I don’t quite understand the difference between A-GPS and SBAS. Is it that A-GPS uses WiFi to download some additional information to improve the accuracy and SBAS uses satellite?
A-GPS is an internet based resource that in part speeds up the GNSS (GPS) initialisation process by providing an upto date ephemeris (listing of current and predicted satellite locations). A-GPS does not improve accuracy but is very helpful in obtainining and maintaining reliable GNSS locations.
SBAS on the other hand is a differential Correction Service that improves the accuracy of the GNSS derived location. So the answer to your question is Yes, I am looking for a button on the menu that enables SBAS which is a satellite based service
It might be more effective if you sent Cupix an email and asked them to inquire with RICOH if the SBAS can be added as an option to the THETA X.
A clear use case or demand would help gather support.
BTW, I installed this software inside of the THETA X.
SBAS does not appear to be available in my area.
If your THETA X is in developer mode, you could install the same or similar software and check if the SBAS data is being read by the app.
Hi Craig, thanks for the suggestion, i will follow it up. The SBAS satellites are geo-stationary staellites ie. they stay in the same place wrt. the ground and they are simply communication satellites transmitting GNSS corrections from networks of ground stations, they do not transmit their own location and do not show up in the GNSS constellation.
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@Kevin_Hainsworth thanks for your help in explaining this. Just to be clear, I will include this in a report on community feedback. However, it would carry even more weight if a software partner like Cupix also made the request.
My thoughts on frame rate, GNSS and movement type in my Facebook post of 20230723 Ricoh THETA 360° Camera User Group | # Theta X for mapping | Facebook
I feel there is a lot to improve in the useability of the X for Google Street View and Mapillary capture.
From your post
I think it may be useful to write a case 6 type GPS information data packet instead of the case 5 type and add a case 7 type with the compass data.
For the camm-spec
What values are needed to improve the accuracy? How is the horizontal_accuracy and vertical_accuracy calculated?
For case 7, are you saying that the compass data is not in the CAMM data in the video file?
@JoscTr you may want to repost the important points in this forum. I don’t think some of the RICOH engineers have access to Facebook. We include links to this forum in the report as this forum does not require login to read the posts.
@Kevin_Hainsworth , I received information from RICOH on SBAS. It is enabled by default.
“The RICOH THETA X built-in GPS has SBAS enabled by default. There is no way for customers to check exactly whether SBAS augmentation data is enabled, but if the position accuracy is around 3m in open sky (the sky is visible in all directions with no obstructions at an elevation angle of 30 degrees or more), then it is considered to be enabled. If it is enabled it, the position accuracy would be around 3m. If it is disabled, it would be around 10m.”
That is good to hear. Thanks for taking the time to look into this. Here is a Linkedin post showing how I am using the theta X with CupixVista software Ricoh Theta X and CupixVista
They have some good ideas.
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Is it okay if I repost some of that information here in this topic so that I can show the team at RICOH the use case? I’m not sure if they use LinkedIn.