The Trimble R12i is Trimble's latest GNSS. The main feature of the R12i is the incorporation of an IMU, a device that measures acceleration and angular velocity, which are the basis for calculating a body's orientation. With this, the R12i can determine what is known as pose: we are talking about position and orientation.

Strictly speaking, pose determination is a technique that has been applied for a long time in dynamic observation systems (LiDAR and photogrammetry). By determining the pose, a sensor can reconstruct not only its position but also its orientation. The latter is known as direct referencing.

In a mobile GNSS that is used for topographic determination tasks, obtaining its pose immediately allows for inclined measurement. Once the receiver knows its Euler angles, it can establish a rotation matrix to calculate the position of the "pole tip". The immediate consequence of this operation is the determination of positions that were simply unreachable due to confinement or simply because the verticality of the pole could not be established.

However, Trimble Inertial Platform (TIP) has a direct connection to another perhaps even more important feature. In coordinate determination with GNSS, it is crucial to establish a confidence interval within which the solution falls. In terms of adjustment, the variance-covariance matrix associated with coordinate determination is calculated, which allows verifying the precision range of the solution. Beyond all the technical details, it is important to note that Trimble ensures accuracy, reliability, and productivity behind every coordinate calculated by the R12i. This technology is known as ProPoint. More details about ProPoint can be found in the following article.

Finally, the field software plays a fundamental role, considering that it is the interface that allows the user to communicate with the technology. Trimble Access enables on-site decision-making based on calculations that were previously complex to perform. In the example, Trimble Access develops a surface with which the volume it occupies in space is determined.

For these reasons, the Trimble R12i is not just a GNSS receiver with an IMU, but a complete solution for satellite positioning.