A Memetic Algorithm for the Location-Based Continuously Operating Reference Stations Placement Problem in Network Real-Time Kinematic

Network real-time kinematic (NRTK) is a technology that can provide centimeter-level accuracy positioning services in real-time, and it is enabled by a network of continuously operating reference stations (CORS). The location-oriented CORS placement problem is an important problem in the design of a NRTK as it will directly affect not only the installation and operational cost of the NRTK, but also the quality of positioning services provided by the NRTK. This paper presents a memetic algorithm (MA) for the location-oriented CORS placement problem, which hybridizes the powerful explorative search capacity of a genetic algorithm and the efficient and effective exploitative search capacity of a local optimization. Experimental results have shown that the MA has better performance than existing approaches. In this paper, we also conduct an empirical study about the scalability of the MA, effectiveness of the hybridization technique and selection of crossover operator in the MA.