SBIR Phase I: Wireless Firefighter Lifeline

Information Systems Laboratories Inc, Poway CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will explore a low-frequency positioning system for locating and tracking people inside of buildings. Phase I will establish system feasibility by showing that lower frequencies will not be subject to the guided-wave propagation modes caused by typical indoor structures of hallways, partition walls, and floors. These guided-wave modes can cause unacceptably large errors in indoor positioning systems. The concept will be validated by a combination of electromagnetic modeling and experiments. It is expected that a phase-only, low-frequency approach will produce high accuracy and good penetration into buildings with modest bandwidth requirements and minimum problems for licensing approval. The principal commercial application is in the firefighter market. The system will monitor not only a firefighter's position but also vital biometric data, e.g., pulse, respiration, temperature, air tank level. Further, this system will be portable, obviating the need for a supporting infrastructure. It can also be used for tracking prison guards and rescuers entering a collapsed building after an earthquake or other natural disasters. Hospitals could use this technology to track critical mobile equipment or personnel.