Buying Guides, Enterprise, How To

RTK vs GPS Position Hold

RTK vs GPS Position Hold

Ever needed your drone to be able to hover in the one position (+/- 10cm) for an extended period of time without the worry that its going to drift?

Well then lets look at the benefits of using the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station for the Phantom 4 RTK, Phantom 4 Multispectral, Matrice 210v2 RTK and of course the Matrice 300 RTK.

By utilising the real time kinematic (RTK) system that links the drone and the base station, the aircraft is able to know its exact position in real time enhancing its abilities to maintain the location more accurately than by just using GPS.  Yes DJI drones are known for being able to hover roughly within the one position for long periods of time, but as demonstrated in the time-lapse video below, over time the GPS enabled drone (Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual) will deviate from its position, whilst the RTK enabled Matrice 300 RTK held its position over the 45 minute flight.


To ensure accuracy of the video, we disabled downwards vision positioning on both drones which were flying at a height of 5.5m, otherwise the vision positioning system would have still been active (up to 30m high on the Matrice 300 RTK and 11m on the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual).

About the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station

The D-RTK 2 Mobile Station is DJI's high-precision GNSS receiver that supports all major global satellite navigation systems, providing rea;-time differential corrections that generate centimetre-level positioning data for improved relative accuracy. 

D-RTK 2 Mobile Station supports communication via 4G, OcuSync, WiFi, and LAN, ensuring uninterrupted, stable data transmission under any application scenario. Up to 5 remote controllers* can be connected to the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station simultaneously when used with DJI Agras drones, the Phantom 4 RTK, or the P4 Multispectral. When used with the Matrice 300 RTK, it can be connected to multiple aircraft, making coordinated operations involving multiple drones a possibility and significantly improving efficiency.

Featuring IP65 level ingress protection and a lightweight carbon fiber body, the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station is ultra-portable and up for any task, no matter how tough. The built-in IMUs monitor movements and calibrate the tilt sensors to alert the operator of any abnormalities during the mission, minimizing risks.