Smartwatches Now Offer Centimeter-Level Location Accuracy Thanks to New Algorithms
Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in smartwatch technology, enabling centimeter-level location tracking accuracy – a capability previously limited to expensive, specialized equipment.
The development, led by Associate Professor Robert Odolinski of the University of Otago in New Zealand, in collaboration with Google’s Android Context group and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, utilizes new algorithms and signals from multiple global navigation satellite systems. Testing in Dunedin, New Zealand, demonstrated the ability to pinpoint location with approximately 8-centimeter precision over a four-hour period. The findings were published today in the journal GPS Solutions.
For decades, industries like surveying and construction have relied on costly GPS equipment to achieve this level of precision. “While the use of the so-called carrier-phase signals has long been known to improve the positioning performance, the specialized antenna and receivers needed for this have traditionally come at a cost far beyond the reach of many who would benefit from the technology,” explained Associate Professor Odolinski. The advance is possible due to recent improvements in smartwatch hardware and power consumption, allowing for the tracking of these carrier-phase signals. This technology could revolutionize applications ranging from augmented reality to precision agriculture, and even improve personal safety features.
This marks a significant step forward from the introduction of GPS in wearable watches in 1999, which lacked the capability for high-precision tracking. “This is just the beginning of what wearable high-precision positioning can potentially achieve,” Odolinski stated. Researchers are now exploring ways to refine the algorithms and expand the technology’s capabilities for dynamic, real-time tracking, as detailed in US Geological Survey resources on GPS.
The team plans to continue refining the algorithms and exploring real-world applications of this new technology.
University of Otago researchers have developed algorithms that improve the precision of location tracking in smartwatches, a world-first development.
Led by Associate Professor Robert Odolinski, a Visiting Researcher with Google from Otago’s School of Surveying, in collaboration with Google’s Android Context group and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the research team demonstrated that a smartwatch determined its location with centimeter-level precision over four hours with a stationary setup.
This was achieved by using the Google GnssLogger app and combining precise signals from several global navigation satellite systems. The results have just been published in the journal GPS Solutions.
Associate Professor Odolinski says that for decades, achieving centimeter-level positioning has required industries such as surveying, construction, and engineering to invest in expensive GPS equipment.
“While the use of the so-called carrier-phase signals has long been known to improve the positioning performance, the specialized antenna and receivers needed for this have traditionally come at a cost far beyond the reach of many who would benefit from the technology.”
GPS was introduced in a wearable watch in 1999, but hardware and power consumption limitations prevented it from tracking the carrier-phase signals needed for high-precision results. Recent advances in smartwatches now make this possible.
“This is just the beginning of what wearable high-precision positioning can potentially achieve,” says Odolinski.
More information:
Phyo C Thu et al, First smartwatch RTK results: performance analysis of instantaneous, single-frequency multi-GNSS cm-level positioning with comparison to Google Pixel 5 smartphones, GPS Solutions (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s10291-025-01965-y
Citation:
Smartwatches achieve centimeter-level location accuracy with new tracking algorithms (2025, October 18)
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