Ground Based Positioning Technology Works Indoors

Jan-05-13 The Locata ground-based location system is much stronger than GPS, ensuring no cell phone user ever gets lost inside the mall again.

Satallite signals can be blocked or hindered by solid structures, both man-made and natural, and may not work inside large buildings at all. In place of satellites, Locata relies upon ground-based equipment that transmits a radio signal over a localized area, creating a kind of GPS ‘hotspot.’ The system could be used to augment current GPS, allowing users to pinpoint their locations on dense city streets—where buildings sometimes interfere with signals—or even underground in subways or caves.

The Locata system could also open doors for robots with better navigation abilities, allowing them to move about inside buildings without the need for complex optical systems.

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[POPSCI.COM]
[NEW SCIENTIST]

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