ARK Electronics enables global, out-of-the-box centimetre positioning for drone manufacturers

ARK-OS and u-blox PointPerfect Flex simplify RTK deployment

Summary

ARK Electronics has integrated u-blox PointPerfect Flex directly into ARK-OS, enabling drone manufacturers to deliver centimetre-level positioning on PX4 and Ardupilot platforms without deploying RTK base stations or developing their own GNSS correction infrastructure. By combining native ARK-OS integration with u-blox PointPerfect Flex, manufacturers can achieve RTK fixes in as little as five seconds, reduce correction-data usage by up to 90% using SPARTN, and deploy a consistent positioning solution across supported global markets. The result is faster product deployment, simplified engineering and lower operating costs for commercial UAV fleets.

Challenges

Challenge 1: Simplifying high-precision positioning for drone manufacturers Adding RTK positioning traditionally requires manufacturers to integrate third-party correction services, manage base stations or develop custom GNSS infrastructure. These additional engineering requirements increase development time and complexity while creating ongoing support challenges across multiple aircraft platforms. Challenge 2: Supporting global deployments without redesigning positioning architecture Drone manufacturers expanding into international markets often need to integrate different correction providers for different regions, increasing software complexity and creating inconsistent operational workflows across fleets. Challenge 3: Reducing convergence time and communication overhead Commercial UAV operations are highly constrained by battery life. Waiting up to 40 seconds for RTK convergence consumes valuable flight time, while conventional network RTK services can generate significant mobile data traffic, increasing communications costs for connected aircraft.

How it works

ARK-OS now includes native support for u-blox PointPerfect Flex, allowing manufacturers to activate high-precision positioning directly through the ARK-OS web interface without custom software development.

After entering their PointPerfect Flex credentials, GNSS correction data is streamed directly to PX4 and Ardupilot flight controllers over MAVLink, enabling compatible RTK receivers to begin receiving correction data with minimal configuration.

For manufacturers using the ARK X20 RTK GPS or other SPARTN-compatible u-blox receivers, the solution supports the bandwidth-efficient SPARTN correction format alongside RTCM, providing flexibility across mixed RTK hardware deployments.

Together, the technologies enable:

• RTK fixes in as little as five seconds.
• 3–6 cm positioning accuracy across supported coverage regions.
• Native integration with PX4 and Ardupilot through MAVLink.
• Up to 90% lower correction-data usage through SPARTN compared with traditional network RTK services.
• Deployment across North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Oceania using a single correction service.
• Flexible hourly, pooled fleet and pay-as-you-go licensing that aligns positioning costs with aircraft utilisation.

Because PointPerfect Flex is integrated directly into ARK-OS, manufacturers can configure their positioning architecture once and deploy the same solution internationally without changing correction providers or maintaining region-specific software integrations.

The MIT-licensed ARK-OS client also supports automatic startup whenever an aircraft powers on, simplifying deployment across production fleets while reducing operational complexity.

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Faster deployment of centimetre-level positioning By integrating PointPerfect Flex directly into ARK-OS, ARK Electronics enables manufacturers to add high-precision positioning to PX4 and Ardupilot aircraft without developing their own correction infrastructure or managing RTK base stations. Integration effort is significantly reduced, accelerating product development and deployment. Outcome 2: Lower operating costs and improved aircraft efficiency With RTK fixes typically achieved in as little as five seconds and correction data delivered using the efficient SPARTN format, aircraft spend less time and battery capacity acquiring an accurate position while significantly reducing mobile data usage. Key benefits for drone manufacturers include: Up to 90% lower correction-data usage over LTE networks. More battery capacity available for mission operations rather than waiting for RTK convergence. Flexible usage-based licensing that matches correction costs to actual aircraft utilisation. Simplified fleet management with a single global correction service. Alex Klimaj, Founder and CEO of ARK Electronics, explains: “Drone manufacturers should not have to become GNSS correction experts, or rebuild their positioning architecture for every market they enter. By building PointPerfect Flex directly into ARK-OS and leveraging the MAVLink interface already supported by PX4 and Ardupilot, we’ve made centimetre-level positioning something OEMs can configure once and deploy globally with confidence.” Outcome 3: Scalable global positioning for commercial UAV fleets By combining native PX4 and Ardupilot integration, global PointPerfect Flex coverage and flexible consumption-based licensing, ARK Electronics enables manufacturers to standardise high-precision positioning across international fleets while simplifying engineering, deployment and long-term support.

As things stand today

ARK Electronics now offers native PointPerfect Flex support as part of ARK-OS, allowing manufacturers to activate centimetre-level positioning directly through the ARK-OS web interface. Supporting both SPARTN and RTCM correction formats, the platform delivers fast RTK convergence, efficient bandwidth utilisation and global correction coverage for compatible u-blox receivers, including the ARK X20 RTK GPS, while simplifying fleet deployment across commercial drone applications.

What’s on the horizon

As commercial drone operations continue to expand across surveying, inspection, delivery and public safety applications, ARK Electronics is well positioned to support increasingly scalable high-precision positioning deployments. Combining global PointPerfect Flex coverage, consumption-based licensing and native integration with leading open autopilot platforms enables manufacturers to deploy consistent centimetre-level positioning worldwide while reducing engineering effort and operational costs.

Courtesy of u-blox