Calculation of vessel speed and acceleration vectors from GPS/DGPS measurements

Position coordinate measurements are an intrinsic feature of navigation. These measurements include points on vessel's trajectory and trajectory derivatives: speed vector and acceleration vector. Due to the fact that systematic and random errors occur in both mathematical model of the navigation process and in specific measuring models, there is no full congruity of the results of measurements performed by various navigational instruments and systems. This work attempts at comparing trajectories, speeds and accelerations obtained by these' navigational devices and systems. The results may be used in examining the measurement reliability and the performance correctness of navigational equipment and system. The comparison of various sources of information also enables detection and identification of systematic errors. Consequently, mathematical models of particular phenomena and processes can be verified.