Background
GPS receivers are becoming increasingly common as an objective measure of spatiotemporal
movement in free-living populations; however, research into the effects of the surrounding
physical environment on the accuracy of off-the-shelf GPS receivers is limited.
Purpose
The goal of the current study was to (1) determine the static validity of seven portable
GPS receiver models under diverse environmental conditions and (2) compare the battery
life and signal acquisition times among the models.
Methods
Seven GPS models (three units of each) were placed on six geodetic sites subject to
a variety of environmental conditions (e.g., open sky, high-rise buildings) on three
separate occasions. The observed signal acquisition time and battery life of each
unit were compared to advertised specifications. Data were collected and analyzed
in June 2012.
Results
Substantial variation in positional error was observed among the seven GPS models,
ranging from 12.1±19.6 m to 58.8±393.2 m when averaged across the three test periods
and six geodetic sites. Further, mean error varied considerably among sites: the lowest
error occurred at the site under open sky (7.3±27.7 m), with the highest error at
the site situated between high-rise buildings (59.2±99.2 m). While observed signal
acquisition times were generally longer than advertised, the differences between observed
and advertised battery life were less pronounced.
Conclusions
Results indicate that portable GPS receivers are able to accurately monitor static
spatial location in unobstructed but not obstructed conditions. It also was observed
that signal acquisition times were generally underestimated in advertised specifications.
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© 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
