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How an ArduSimple RTK Kit improves tree mapping quality in the TREEO app
Table of contents
This tutorial explains how to set up the TREEO app and some of its use cases, together with the RTK Handheld 2 Mapping Kit.
TREEO is a forestry and carbon-monitoring mobile app that lets you record individual tree species, health, GPS location, diameter and map the land plots they belong to.
In simple terms, TREEO along with RTK Handheld 2 Mapping kit turns a normal smartphone into a centimeter accurate, tree measurement tool. This setup allows:
- Record tree’s location with centimeter level of GPS accuracy
- Measure trees: A user takes photos of trees with the app. The app uses image technology to estimate tree size (for example, trunk diameter).
- It estimates how much CO₂ the trees remove from the atmosphere and the possible economic value of the trees (such as timber value).
In this tutorial we explain how to make sure TREEO uses the precise position from your external RTK receiver — not your phone’s internal GPS — so your data is centimeter-accurate.
Required hardware:
- RTK Handheld 2 Mapping Kit
- An Android smartphone
Required software:
Before start:
Make sure you have credentials to access NTRIP corrections service in the area where you are going to operate.
Need an NTRIP service? ArduSimple maintains a database of free and paid NTRIP services by country. RTK works best when the base station is within 35–50 km of your location.
How to map with TREEO and external receiver with cm accuracy?
Create a TREEO Account or Log In
- Open TREEO. On the sign-in screen, create an account (or log in if you already have one).
- Grant the requested permissions — location permission is essential.
- Open the map view.
- Center the map on your current location. You will see that your phone’s GPS accuracy is currently measured in meters. In the next steps, we’ll show you how to improve it to centimeter-level accuracy using an external RTK kit.
Connect the external RTK receiver
- Power your external receiver by using usb cable that comes in the package.
- Place the receiver in an open area with a clear view of the sky.
- Press Wheel icon in TREEO to open settings.
- Scroll dawn and click section ArduSimple RTK GPS.
- There are 2 ways to connect to receiver: via USB and vis Bluetooth. At the moment of preparing this tutorial, Bluetooth connection was not working properly so that we will explain how to connect via USB.
- Press Connect via USB.
Connection to NTRIP service
- Press Open ArduSimple Settings.
- Enter your credentials to connect the NTRIP: NTRIP host, port, mountpoint, username and password. Press Connect to NTRIP.
- Wait a couple of minutes until the receiver achieves an RTK fix or RTK Float status. Your positioning accuracy should then improve down to 1 cm.
Perform Land Survey with centimeter accuracy
For this use case we will be using the Treeo App’s Land Survey function which allows you to measure the size and exact location of a plot, using the RTK for centimeter accuracy.
- In the homepage click on Start a new activity.
- In the Activity list, navigate to Land Survey and then click on Land Survey TREEO Global Demo.
- Press Start to start the land survey activity.
- Then press Start Land Survey.
- After reading the tips, press Continue.
- Press Continue to start taking the photos of the plot.
- Once you have taken the photos from all corners, press Finish the survey.
- TREOO will then provide you with details of the size of the plot and the exact location on the map.
Your TREEO app is now set up to work with the RTK Handheld 2 Mapping Kit. As long as the NTRIP is Active, every position you record in TREEO will be centimeter-accurate.
Related products
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