High Precision Indoor and Outdoor Positioning using LocataNet

Abstract

Today, GPS is the most popular and widely used three-dimensional positioning technology in the world. However, in many everyday environments such as indoors or in urban areas, GPS signals are not available for positioning (due to the very weak signals). Even with high sensitivity GPS receivers, positioning for urban and indoor environments cannot be guaranteed in all situations, and accuracies are typically of the order of tens to hundreds of meters at best. Other emerging technologies obtain positions from systems that are not designed for positioning, such as mobile phones or television. As a result, the accuracy, reliability and simplicity of the position solution is typically very poor in comparison to GPS with a clear view of the sky. Locata is a new positioning technology, developed to address the failure of current technologies for reliable ubiquitous (outdoor and indoor) positioning. In this paper key aspects of the new technology are discussed, with particular emphasis on the positioning network (LocataNet). An innovative characteristic of the LocataNet is its ability to propagate (autonomously) into difficult environments and over wide areas. Through an experimental LocataNet installation, a key mechanism for achieving this is tested, and real-time stand-alone positioning (without a base station and additional data link) with sub-centimeter precision is demonstrated.