CHENNAI: IIT Madras has developed an innovative real-time indoor mapping solution that can generate precise maps under any lighting or environmental conditions, which will be of great help to first responders during any emergencies or disasters, a release said.
The new technology introduces a dynamic and portable approach. This is in contrast to the reliance of existing systems on pre-installed infrastructure of a network of wireless transceivers at fixed, known locations to create detailed maps of indoor environment using ‘Radio Tomographic Imaging’ (RTI).
Moreover, existing camera-based solutions face limitations as they rely on clear visual line of sight, which makes them ineffective in cluttered, obstacle-laden, or poorly lit environments.
Instead, IIT-M’s new technology, named as UbiqMap, employs wearable transceivers that can be easily worn by rescue personnel and leverages radio frequency-based imaging to reconstruct the structural layout or floor map of the area using RTI.
“As team members move through the environment, these devices automatically determine their positions and continuously update the floor map, providing an accurate and real-time layout of the area,” the release said.
The research was led by Ayon Chakraborty, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering with the participation of postgraduate students Amartya Basu and Kush Jajal.
Chakraborty said search and rescue operations are often hindered by lack of accurate indoor building plans and even when maps are available, they often fail to capture real-time dynamics.
He said the new technology, with no dependence on visual line of sight or extensive computational resources, is an invaluable asset in complex, time-critical scenarios.