Quectel: Using High-Precision GNSS for Smarter Construction
Construction companies are increasingly adopting automation and connected technologies to improve productivity, safety and operational efficiency.
As equipment becomes more autonomous, accurate positioning is essential for everything from fleet management to machine control.
Quectel's latest white paper explores how organisations can simplify the development of high-precision GNSS-enabled devices using an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) model, helping OEMs accelerate deployment while reducing engineering complexity.
The paper highlights growing demand for precise positioning technologies, noting that 82% of organisations either use or plan to implement real-time data processing, while GNSS chipset shipments are forecast to reach 2.4 billion by 2029.
Combined with advances in Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) correction services and Dead Reckoning technology, GNSS has evolved from a specialist solution into a scalable technology for industrial applications.
Precision Matters in Construction
Construction is one of the key sectors benefiting from high-precision GNSS. Automated excavators, bulldozers, graders, pavers and cranes all rely on accurate positioning to maintain productivity across construction sites.
However, busy construction environments present challenges, with buildings, heavy machinery and surrounding infrastructure capable of obstructing satellite signals.
Quectel explains that multi-band, multi-constellation GNSS receivers – combined with RTK correction services – help maintain centimetre-level positioning by tracking more satellites and improving signal reliability.
Dead Reckoning technology provides additional resilience by maintaining positioning when satellite reception is temporarily interrupted. This accuracy is particularly important during grading, excavation and materials control, where equipment must operate precisely according to digital site plans.
Reliable RTK positioning helps improve productivity, supports less experienced operators and reduces costly rework.
Simplifying Device Development
While GNSS technology is becoming more accessible, integrating it into industrial equipment remains complex.
Antenna placement, hardware integration, thermal performance, software development and regulatory compliance all require specialist expertise.
Rather than managing these processes internally, Quectel recommends an ODM approach that combines design, manufacturing and certification within a single development framework.
The white paper explains that Quectel's one-stop-shop model provides GNSS modules, antennas, RTK correction services, software integration, testing and manufacturing support through one supplier.
Customers can develop fully-customised devices or adapt existing white-labelled products, helping reduce development costs while accelerating time to market.
The development process covers product definition, industrial design, hardware engineering, thermal simulation, mechanical development and software integration before progressing through antenna tuning, electromagnetic compatibility testing, reliability validation and certification.
This structured approach enables organisations to bring compliant products to market more efficiently.
For construction equipment manufacturers, the white paper concludes that combining advanced GNSS technologies with an ODM development model offers a practical route to deploying precise, connected equipment without building specialist capabilities entirely in-house.
As automation continues to expand across construction projects, reducing engineering complexity while maintaining reliable centimetre-level positioning could become a significant competitive advantage.
Download the full whitepaper here to begin manufacturing smarter construction equipment.
