Some of you who usually use car navigation may feel that the current system has enough functionality. However, the satellite positioning system is not just for car navigation. It is imperative for mapping, measurements for construction work, monitoring services for children and senior citizens, automatic control of agricultural machinery, detecting earthquakes and volcanic activities, weather forecasting and many other applicable fields. Therefore, an improvement in accuracy and reliability is called for from various areas. New service using more accurate positioning data may be born when positioning accuracy is further improved by the QZSS thus we can capture location information with an error of within one meter.

The MICHIBIKI was launched by the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 18 on September 11, 2010. After being injected into the quasi-zenith orbit, the MICHIBIKI is now under a three-month initial functional verification. Then, its technical and application verification will be carried out in cooperation with concerned organizations. (During the verification, we can receive signals from the MICHIBIKI. However, in the early stage, we will place an alert flag as we verify the accuracy of information contained in its signals. To use the MICHIBIKI, please use a special receiver, which is specially processed to not exclude MICHIBIKI data from your positioning calculation even though an alert flag is in effect. In addition, please be aware that positioning accuracy may deteriorate compared to that using only the GPS.)
You cannot receive MICHIBIKI signals through a commercially available GPS receiver such as a car navigation system, but you can do so by modifying a conventional device. We heard that there are some machines that can receive MICHIBIKI signals by improving software. JAXA and related organizations are now promoting receiver manufacturers to cope with MICHIBIKI signal reception.