Evaluation of Different Outlier Detection Methods for GPS Networks.docVIP

Sensors 2008, 8, 7344-7358; DOI: 10.3390/s8117344 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Article Evaluation of Different Outlier Detection Methods for GPS Networks Ertan G?kalp 1,*, O?uz Güng?r 1 and Yüksel Boz 2 1 Department of Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, 61080 Turkey; E-Mails: gokalp@.tr; ogungor@.tr 2 Department of Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey; E-Mail: boz.1@ * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ertan@.tr; Tel.: + 90-535-839-4322; Fax: + 90-462-325-0918 Received: 4 November 2008; in revised form: 14 November 2008 / Accepted: 17 November 2008 / Published: 17 November 2008 Abstract: GPS (Global Positioning System) devices can be used in many applications which require accurate point positioning in geosciences. Accuracy of GPS decreases due to outliers resulted from the errors inherent in GPS observations. Several approaches have been developed to detect outliers in geodetic observations. It is important to determine which method is most effective at distinguishing outliers from normal observations. This paper investigates the behavior of conventional statistical test methods (Data Snooping (DS), Tau and t tests), some robust methods (Andrews’s M-Estimation, Huber’s M- Estimation, Tukey’s M-Estimation, Danish Method, Yang-I M-Estimation, Yang-II M- Estimation, and fuzzy logic method in detection of outliers for three GPS networks having different characteristics. Test results are evaluated and the performances of different methods are presented quantitatively. Keywords: Robust estimation; Fuzzy logic; GPS, Statistical test; Data Snooping; Membership value.  Sensors 2008, 8 7345 1. Introduction Geoscience applications such as determination of crustal movements, deformations and landslides require accurate point positioning. GPS can be used as a tool in these a