Pinpointing locations within three feet
Wednesday, January 6, 2016 - 09:51
in Physics & Chemistry
When firefighters rush into a burning building, it is imperative that they and their operations team know their precise locations at all times. Even with global positioning systems (GPS) and other tracking technologies, environmental conditions, obstructions and interference from the building materials can severely limit pinpointing them. In the event of an injury, search teams rely on communications systems to rescue these first responders. Researchers are developing a new system, known as the Precision Outdoor and Indoor Navigation and Tracking for Emergency Responders (POINTER) to help tackle this challenge.