Singapore-based digital mapping service Grab has launched a pilot programme to test a high-accuracy GPS positioning system aimed at improving navigation and location precision for its driver- and delivery-partners.
The initiative, developed in collaboration with OPPO, Qualcomm Technologies, and Swift Navigation, marks the first deployment of lane-level GPS accuracy in mobile phones and app integration in Southeast Asia.
The pilot uses OPPO’s Find N5 foldable phone, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, together with Swift Navigation’s Skylark Precise Positioning Service, which delivers real-time GPS correction data. Grab said the system can achieve accuracy within a few centimetres, compared with the 20-metre deviation typical in dense urban areas.
In a statement, Grab said the enhanced positioning would help its partners navigate Singapore’s complex road networks and multi-level environments, improving pick-up efficiency and reducing cancellations. “Driver- and delivery-partners will be driving with technology that is at the cutting edge — similar to high-precision positioning used in autonomous vehicles,” said Nilofer Christensen, Head of Consumer Product at GrabMaps.
The pilot involves about 250 drivers and riders, including 60 who received OPPO Find N5 phones as part of the trial. The company plans to integrate the technology into its proprietary Karta navigation devices following the pilot’s completion.
Swift Navigation’s Skylark system operates through a global network of ground reference stations, including Singapore’s SiReNT network managed by the Singapore Land Authority, to correct GPS signal errors caused by buildings or atmospheric interference.
Grab is also expanding its efforts to improve navigation in underground car parks, where GPS signals are typically lost. Using its in-house KartaCam and LiDAR mapping technology, the company has begun mapping basements of hotels and malls in the Marina Bay area to enable smoother turn-by-turn guidance when GPS is unavailable.
For users, the improvements are expected to reduce arrival-time errors and missed pick-ups, especially in areas with multiple entrances or poor visibility. Grab said the pilot, which began in October, is part of its longer-term ambition to bring lane-level navigation across Southeast Asia.
Francesco Grilli, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, said the project “marks an important innovation in bringing high-accuracy positioning to mobile devices”. Swift Navigation’s EVP of Product and Marketing, Holger Ippach, added that Grab was “among the first in the world to successfully integrate precise GPS into a mobile app, setting a new benchmark for next-generation mobile navigation”.
Founded in 2012, Grab operates in eight Southeast Asian markets and has expanded from ride-hailing into food delivery, digital payments, and financial services.
There’s plenty of other editorial on our sister site, Electronic Specifier! Or you can always join in the conversation by visiting our LinkedIn page.
