Summary
- We rely on GPS to help locate where we are, but satellite signals can be blocked or disrupted inside buildings, underground, in dense urban environments and in other challenging settings.
- A new approach from Michigan State University allows physically separate wireless systems to synchronize with one another in real time without cables or using GPS signals.
- The technology could improve radar, wireless communications, navigation and remote sensing by allowing multiple smaller systems to work together as one.
We expect our phones, cars and other connected technologies to know where they are and to communicate wherever we go. The Global Positioning System, or GPS, helps make that possible, but the satellite signals GPS uses can’t reach everywhere. Inside buildings, underground and among tall buildings, those signals can be blocked or disrupted. Now, Michigan State University researchers have demonstrated how wireless systems can work together without relying on GPS.
Jeffrey Nanzer, MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor in the College of Engineering, leads the team developing the technology, which uses what engineers call a “distributed array” to bring multiple wireless systems together so they can act like one larger system.
This technology also could help wireless systems pinpoint the location of objects with remarkable precision. Nanzer’s team has demonstrated positioning accuracy of an item within 0.82 millimeters, or roughly a grain of sand.
“One of the biggest challenges is synchronizing multiple wireless systems to work together to improve location accuracy,” said Nanzer. “It’s one thing to say that your phone is in Spartan Stadium and it’s another to say your phone is in section 21, row 61, seat 62.”
In research published in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Nanzer and his collaborators demonstrated a way for separate wireless systems to coordinate with one another in real time.
The approach uses commercially available wireless equipment and doesn’t require cables connecting the systems or an outside timing reference such as GPS. Instead, the systems “talk” to each other by exchanging signals. By comparing those signals, the wireless systems can continuously adjust to stay in sync.
The researchers demonstrated this in environments where wireless signals bounce and reflect off of surrounding objects and were able to coordinate the wireless systems in less than one ten-billionth of a second.
“The ability to coordinate without relying on an external GPS reference could be particularly useful in environments where satellite signals are unavailable, unreliable or obstructed,” said Nanzer. “This technology could improve the performance of radar, wireless communications, satellite remote sensing and navigation systems.”
Opportunities for Partnership
MSU’s approach lets separate wireless systems coordinate as one, even where satellite signals can’t reach. Notably, the approach uses commercially available wireless equipment and doesn’t require cables connecting the systems or an outside timing reference such as GPS, which lowers the barrier for real-world adoption. Defense and aerospace organizations can explore applications in GPS-denied or contested environments, from radar to coordinated drone networks. Telecommunications companies can partner on next-generation wireless systems that combine smaller units into higher-performing networks. Autonomous vehicle, robotics and logistics companies can collaborate on navigation that holds up in tunnels, warehouses and dense cities, while public safety, mining and infrastructure groups can explore reliable positioning underground and indoors. Organizations interested in licensing, sponsored research or field testing are invited to connect with MSU researchers.
Visit innovationcenter.msu.edu or contact us to start the conversation.
About the MSU Innovation Center
The MSU Innovation Center connects Michigan State University’s engineering research with industry and government partners to bring breakthrough technologies into use. By advancing resilient wireless and navigation solutions from discovery to marketplace, the center helps organizations stay connected and operational wherever they work. Through strategic partnerships, technology transfer and licensing, startup support and translational funding, the Innovation Center bridges research and industry, supporting Michigan’s leadership in mobility, communications and advanced technology.
Learn more: MSU Innovation Center