Generation of a High-Precision Digital Elevation Model for Fields in Mountain Regions Using RTK-GPS

Abstract

In modern agriculture, many advanced automated devices are used on farms. To improve the working efficiency of agricultural vehicles, fields are expected to be pre-leveled, because the vehicles work more effectively on a flat field. Leveling a field requires the current field elevation map. Some farmers in Japan have begun to use high-precision real-time kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS)-based self-steering tractors in the fields. This study uses the RTK-GPS information from a self-steering tractor system to generate a digital elevation model (DEM) especially in mountain regions where the fields are not flat. In addition, all of the information is from the self-steering system with the result that farmers can use the method of this study without additional instruments. However, the GPS receiver sometimes cannot obtain high-quality signals from satellites in mountain regions. Therefore, this study focuses on how to create a high-precision DEM even when a GPS signal is unavailable. It proposes a dynamic interpolation method for generating a DEM. In addition, a test was conducted in a field in a mountain region. The test results show that the dynamic interpolation method can provide an accuracy of less than 0.03 m in the test field for creating a DEM.