Seiko's Time Synchronization Technology Eliminates 'GNSS Dead Zones'; Next-Generation 'Chrono Locate™' Positioning Platform Demonstrated in Construction Sector
Seiko has demonstrated 'Chrono Locate™,' a new positioning platform that provides centimeter-level accuracy in environments where GNSS signals are unavailable, such as indoors and underground, with applications envisioned for construction, factories, and logistics.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 00:01
Seiko Solutions Inc. and Seiko Future Creation Inc., both business companies of the Seiko Group Corporation, have jointly conducted a demonstration experiment in the construction field for 'Chrono Locate™ *1,' a high-precision positioning platform they are co-developing, in collaboration with Taisei Corporation.
In recent years, the use of ICT and IoT has been advancing in social infrastructure fields, including construction sites, to improve safety, productivity, and address labor shortages. Positional information plays a crucial role in construction management, heavy machinery operation management, and worker safety management.
However, since many of these systems are based on GNSS*2 (Global Navigation Satellite System), satellite signals are difficult to receive in areas such as tunnels, underground spaces, under elevated structures in urban areas, and indoor construction zones, posing significant constraints on acquiring position information.
'Chrono Locate™' was developed as a new positioning platform that does not rely on satellites to address these challenges.
Chrono Locate™ is a next-generation positioning technology that evolves the high-precision time synchronization technology Seiko has cultivated over many years. It enables the acquisition of high-precision and stable position information even in indoor, underground, and under-elevated urban areas where GNSS use is difficult. It is a technology platform that can simultaneously solve the issues of accuracy, stability, and wide-area coverage that were challenges for conventional indoor positioning technologies.
This demonstration verified the potential for utilizing position information at actual construction sites and confirmed that centimeter-level accuracy and stability required at construction sites can be achieved even in environments where GNSS is unavailable.
*For details on the demonstration, please refer to the press release by Taisei Corporation at the following link: [Link to Taisei PDF]
## Features of Chrono Locate™
Chrono Locate™ determines position in real-time by transmitting and receiving radio waves bidirectionally between multiple base stations installed in the positioning area and a mobile station attached to the target object.
The core of this technology is the high-precision time synchronization technology that Seiko has cultivated in the fields of watches and time synchronization systems.
Key features include:
- High-precision time synchronization of less than a nanosecond through bidirectional communication
- Distance measurement with an error of a few centimeters through precise time difference measurement*3
- Real-time acquisition of 3D position information in environments including indoors and underground
- Usable over a wide area exceeding 100 meters*4
Whereas GNSS calculates position through one-way communication from satellites, Chrono Locate™ is a new positioning platform that does not rely on satellites, performing positioning by combining ground-based base stations with high-precision time synchronization technology.
*This technology utilizes the research results of Wi-Wi (Wireless two-way interferometry) developed by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
[Image Caption] Figure 1: Comparison with conventional GNSS positioning
## Future Development
Chrono Locate™ enables the acquisition of detailed position information in spaces where it was previously difficult to ascertain, and it is expected to be utilized as a foundational technology supporting the digitalization of construction sites.
- Contributing to the prevention of contact accidents and the enhancement of safety standards by understanding the positional relationship between workers and heavy machinery
- Optimizing work efficiency by visualizing the flow of forklifts and transport equipment
- High-precision stopping and path control for AGVs/AMRs
Going forward, we will expand beyond the construction field to logistics warehouses, factories, and smart infrastructure. As a positioning platform that seamlessly connects indoor and outdoor environments, we aim to realize an environment where people, objects, and robots collaborate in real-time in the same coordinate space, where all movements on-site are integrated as data, and where work optimization and safety management are autonomously performed.
Seiko Solutions and Seiko Future Creation will continue to promote the practical application and social implementation of Chrono Locate™, working to create value and solve social issues originating from position information.
*1 Chrono Locate™ is a trademark (pending application) of Seiko Group Corporation.
*2 GNSS: A collective term for positioning technologies using positioning satellites such as GPS, QZSS, GLONASS, and Galileo.
*3 Positioning accuracy varies depending on placement, installation environment, and radio wave propagation conditions (presence of obstacles, multipath effects, etc.). The stated accuracy is based on demonstration results in an environment with properly placed base stations. Equivalent accuracy is not guaranteed in all environments.
*4 By combining and linking base stations, the positioning area can be flexibly expanded to large-scale sites exceeding 100m.
In recent years, the use of ICT and IoT has been advancing in social infrastructure fields, including construction sites, to improve safety, productivity, and address labor shortages. Positional information plays a crucial role in construction management, heavy machinery operation management, and worker safety management.
However, since many of these systems are based on GNSS*2 (Global Navigation Satellite System), satellite signals are difficult to receive in areas such as tunnels, underground spaces, under elevated structures in urban areas, and indoor construction zones, posing significant constraints on acquiring position information.
'Chrono Locate™' was developed as a new positioning platform that does not rely on satellites to address these challenges.
Chrono Locate™ is a next-generation positioning technology that evolves the high-precision time synchronization technology Seiko has cultivated over many years. It enables the acquisition of high-precision and stable position information even in indoor, underground, and under-elevated urban areas where GNSS use is difficult. It is a technology platform that can simultaneously solve the issues of accuracy, stability, and wide-area coverage that were challenges for conventional indoor positioning technologies.
This demonstration verified the potential for utilizing position information at actual construction sites and confirmed that centimeter-level accuracy and stability required at construction sites can be achieved even in environments where GNSS is unavailable.
*For details on the demonstration, please refer to the press release by Taisei Corporation at the following link: [Link to Taisei PDF]
## Features of Chrono Locate™
Chrono Locate™ determines position in real-time by transmitting and receiving radio waves bidirectionally between multiple base stations installed in the positioning area and a mobile station attached to the target object.
The core of this technology is the high-precision time synchronization technology that Seiko has cultivated in the fields of watches and time synchronization systems.
Key features include:
- High-precision time synchronization of less than a nanosecond through bidirectional communication
- Distance measurement with an error of a few centimeters through precise time difference measurement*3
- Real-time acquisition of 3D position information in environments including indoors and underground
- Usable over a wide area exceeding 100 meters*4
Whereas GNSS calculates position through one-way communication from satellites, Chrono Locate™ is a new positioning platform that does not rely on satellites, performing positioning by combining ground-based base stations with high-precision time synchronization technology.
*This technology utilizes the research results of Wi-Wi (Wireless two-way interferometry) developed by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
[Image Caption] Figure 1: Comparison with conventional GNSS positioning
## Future Development
Chrono Locate™ enables the acquisition of detailed position information in spaces where it was previously difficult to ascertain, and it is expected to be utilized as a foundational technology supporting the digitalization of construction sites.
- Contributing to the prevention of contact accidents and the enhancement of safety standards by understanding the positional relationship between workers and heavy machinery
- Optimizing work efficiency by visualizing the flow of forklifts and transport equipment
- High-precision stopping and path control for AGVs/AMRs
Going forward, we will expand beyond the construction field to logistics warehouses, factories, and smart infrastructure. As a positioning platform that seamlessly connects indoor and outdoor environments, we aim to realize an environment where people, objects, and robots collaborate in real-time in the same coordinate space, where all movements on-site are integrated as data, and where work optimization and safety management are autonomously performed.
Seiko Solutions and Seiko Future Creation will continue to promote the practical application and social implementation of Chrono Locate™, working to create value and solve social issues originating from position information.
*1 Chrono Locate™ is a trademark (pending application) of Seiko Group Corporation.
*2 GNSS: A collective term for positioning technologies using positioning satellites such as GPS, QZSS, GLONASS, and Galileo.
*3 Positioning accuracy varies depending on placement, installation environment, and radio wave propagation conditions (presence of obstacles, multipath effects, etc.). The stated accuracy is based on demonstration results in an environment with properly placed base stations. Equivalent accuracy is not guaranteed in all environments.
*4 By combining and linking base stations, the positioning area can be flexibly expanded to large-scale sites exceeding 100m.
FAQ
What is Chrono Locate™?
It's a next-generation positioning platform developed by Seiko. It enables centimeter-level high-precision positioning even indoors or underground where GNSS (GPS) is unavailable.
What is the difference from conventional indoor positioning technologies?
It simultaneously solves issues of accuracy, stability, and wide-area coverage. By using proprietary high-precision time synchronization technology, it overcomes the challenges of previous technologies.
In which fields is its application expected?
In addition to improving safety and productivity on construction sites, it's anticipated for use in environments where people, goods, and robots coexist, such as for AGV control in factories and workflow management in warehouses.