Location Applications and Positioning Technologies seminar

Yesterday, (Thursday 12th July), I attended an extremely interesting one-day seminar organised by the Location and Timing KTN Network (along with Mobile Data Association), titled Location Applications and Positioning Technologies at the National Physics Library (NPL). The topics of the seminar addressed the new and emerging applications of location based positioning and all technologies that can be incorporated with Global Navigation Satellite Systems to provide a truly robust positioning in all environments, and for all applications. Some of the questions emerging (and tackled by all of the presentations) were on the revenue generation of applications for these services today, business applications, the consumer-driven adoption of the technologies and many others...

Below I have included some links about some of the talks which I singled out (although I have to say that I found all of them very topical and stimulating, especially when it comes to research ideas on state-of-the-art technological issues), hopefully I will attend another event like this sometime in the not-too-distant future.

http://www.mobguardian.com/

(a complete GPS based search and rescue system for fishermen developed by AWS in collaboration with Microsoft, and using the Virtual Earth platform)

http://www.tiresias.org/

(homepage of the Scientific Research Unit, part of the RNIB Access and Innovation Group, that develops and disseminates RNIB's expertise on the accessibility of information, technology, environment and culture with a strong focus on mobile devices and disabilities)

http://www.airetrak.com/

(tracking solution helping potential clients to address a number of commercial challenges using the latest RFID and Wi-Fi technology, provide real time accurate information about the location of key assets and people)

http://www.analyticon.co.uk/

(an indoor pedestrian navigation prototype system using inertial sensors and motion detection for tracking, as can be found on many current mobile devices)

http://www.trinitymobile.co.uk/

(a solution -and the research and reasoning behind it- to providing services on mobile devices such as mobile tickets, mobile coupons, mobile loyalty, bulk text, SMS to email, email to SMS and multimedia messaging services)

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/

(a very thorough overview of the UK's leading national mapping data agency roadmap for the future, with some soon-to-be-implemented solutions including full digitisation & farming of road networks, 3D virtual urban models and attemps to promote "greener" urban mapping by promoting pedestrian passings etc.)