KR — ZDNet Korea
Fire Scene Location Tracking Without Infrastructure Demonstrated, Proposed for Defense Use
Devices2 min read
A Korean company says it has tested a way to find firefighters' locations inside burning buildings without GPS or any pre-installed equipment. It now plans to bring the same idea to the military.
A new way to track people without GPS
At a academic conference in Cheongju on the 6th, Lee Kyu-young of Sitas explained a new positioning system. It works where GPS and other signals are weak or missing. The company has already tested it at fire scenes and plans to expand it to defense use. The method is called infrastructure-free positioning, meaning it needs no equipment placed in the building beforehand.
How the system works
The main idea is that each device works out its own position. It uses a person's steps, walking direction, and air pressure (which shows height). It does not need network towers, Wi-Fi, or online maps. The device can also use GPS, motion sensors, and light sensors when they are available. AI combines this data. Fire-building floor plans help find doors, stairs, and elevators, which then correct errors. When normal communication fails, a mesh network passes signals from device to device so commanders can still see where everyone is.
Key facts from the article
- GPS has been used for location tracking for about 30 years.
- The fire-scene test was carried out with fire crews inside buildings.
- The mesh network can work when LTE and Wi-Fi are cut off.
- The researcher has spent 16 years on radio map technology.
Why it matters
Firefighters and soldiers often work in places where GPS fails, such as inside buildings or underground. Knowing where each person is can save lives. The speakers also said that military success depends on reliable location data and clear rules about national security. They noted that map data is a security issue, not only a technical one.
What to watch
- Joint trials between the fire service and the military.
- Whether Korea sets its own standards for location devices and data.
- Results of military test projects and civil-military technology partnerships.
- How the panel's concerns are handled: trust in R&D results, a clear definition of national security, and completing the research.
Glossary
- GPS
- A satellite system that shows where a device is on Earth.