Demonstration of Next-Generation Positioning Technology 'Chrono Locate™' for High-Precision Location Tracking in Non-GNSS Construction Environments
Taisei Corporation and Seiko Group demonstrated 'Chrono Locate™', a technology enabling centimeter-level positioning in non-GNSS environments like tunnels, integrating it with Taisei's DX platform to enhance construction site productivity.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 23:29 (486h 42m after Collected)
Taisei Corporation (President: Yoshiro Aikawa) and Seiko Future Creation Inc. (President: Makoto Ichimura) and Seiko Solutions Inc. (President: Jun Sekine), both operating companies of Seiko Group Corporation (Chairman, Group CEO and Group CCO: Shinji Hattori), have collaborated to conduct a demonstration experiment aimed at applying the 'Chrono Locate™' indoor high-precision positioning system to construction sites. This system enables highly accurate location tracking even in indoor and underground spaces where Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS*¹) are unavailable.
This initiative aims to extend the functions that GNSS has brought to construction sites—such as streamlining surveying work, ICT construction, and digitizing as-built management—into non-GNSS environments. Furthermore, by leveraging the highly accurate and compact features of Seiko's 'Chrono Locate™', it is envisioned to be deployed as one of the applications on Taisei Corporation's integrated platform, 'T-iDigital Field'.
Specifically, by combining it with advanced technologies such as AR (Augmented Reality), it becomes possible to perform high-precision drone surveying, display 3D blueprints in AR, enhance safety management through tracking worker movement, and accurately position and monitor heavy equipment and construction machinery. This can supplement the surveying and verification of heavy machinery positions previously performed by workers using surveying instruments.
Through this demonstration, it was confirmed that by utilizing this system, 3D location information can be acquired in real-time with high precision. This enables the advancement of construction methods and the improvement of productivity even in non-GNSS environments.
Moving forward, by utilizing this technology, we aim to contribute to addressing the labor shortage, improving productivity, and enhancing safety at construction sites.
Driven by initiatives like 'i-Construction' promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the entire construction industry is actively utilizing ICT and IoT devices to dramatically improve site productivity. GNSS is one of the representative tools, widely used for efficiently grasping location information and transforming production processes through DX, ranging from topographic surveying to earthwork support and operation management of construction machinery and dump trucks.
On the other hand, because GNSS cannot be used in environments where satellite signals do not reach, such as inside tunnels or underground spaces, or in construction environments where signal reflection occurs, there has been a demand for the development of a new system capable of efficiently acquiring location information even in non-GNSS environments.
Therefore, Taisei Corporation focused on Seiko's 'Chrono Locate™' technology, which can acquire location information without relying on GNSS, and in linkage with its own integrated platform 'T-iDigital Field', began demonstration experiments for its application to construction sites.
This technology realizes simultaneous nanosecond-precision time synchronization and centimeter-precision ranging—which was conventionally difficult—by having multiple reference stations installed in the targeted positioning area and mobile stations transmit and receive radio waves bi-directionally*³. While GNSS relies on one-way radio wave reception from satellites, this technology measures distance by calculating the time difference in the arrival of bi-directional radio waves. Furthermore, by synchronizing the time between devices with nanosecond precision via bi-directional communication, measurement accuracy is enhanced, achieving centimeter-level ranging.
This technology acts essentially as a 'Local GPS' deployed on the ground. Instead of satellites, multiple reference stations are set up in the targeted area to extremely precisely measure the difference in arrival time of radio waves reaching the mobile station.
This initiative aims to extend the functions that GNSS has brought to construction sites—such as streamlining surveying work, ICT construction, and digitizing as-built management—into non-GNSS environments. Furthermore, by leveraging the highly accurate and compact features of Seiko's 'Chrono Locate™', it is envisioned to be deployed as one of the applications on Taisei Corporation's integrated platform, 'T-iDigital Field'.
Specifically, by combining it with advanced technologies such as AR (Augmented Reality), it becomes possible to perform high-precision drone surveying, display 3D blueprints in AR, enhance safety management through tracking worker movement, and accurately position and monitor heavy equipment and construction machinery. This can supplement the surveying and verification of heavy machinery positions previously performed by workers using surveying instruments.
Through this demonstration, it was confirmed that by utilizing this system, 3D location information can be acquired in real-time with high precision. This enables the advancement of construction methods and the improvement of productivity even in non-GNSS environments.
Moving forward, by utilizing this technology, we aim to contribute to addressing the labor shortage, improving productivity, and enhancing safety at construction sites.
Driven by initiatives like 'i-Construction' promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the entire construction industry is actively utilizing ICT and IoT devices to dramatically improve site productivity. GNSS is one of the representative tools, widely used for efficiently grasping location information and transforming production processes through DX, ranging from topographic surveying to earthwork support and operation management of construction machinery and dump trucks.
On the other hand, because GNSS cannot be used in environments where satellite signals do not reach, such as inside tunnels or underground spaces, or in construction environments where signal reflection occurs, there has been a demand for the development of a new system capable of efficiently acquiring location information even in non-GNSS environments.
Therefore, Taisei Corporation focused on Seiko's 'Chrono Locate™' technology, which can acquire location information without relying on GNSS, and in linkage with its own integrated platform 'T-iDigital Field', began demonstration experiments for its application to construction sites.
This technology realizes simultaneous nanosecond-precision time synchronization and centimeter-precision ranging—which was conventionally difficult—by having multiple reference stations installed in the targeted positioning area and mobile stations transmit and receive radio waves bi-directionally*³. While GNSS relies on one-way radio wave reception from satellites, this technology measures distance by calculating the time difference in the arrival of bi-directional radio waves. Furthermore, by synchronizing the time between devices with nanosecond precision via bi-directional communication, measurement accuracy is enhanced, achieving centimeter-level ranging.
This technology acts essentially as a 'Local GPS' deployed on the ground. Instead of satellites, multiple reference stations are set up in the targeted area to extremely precisely measure the difference in arrival time of radio waves reaching the mobile station.