'''Magnetic positioning''' is an IPS (Indoor positioning system) solution that takes advantage of the magnetic field anomalies typical of indoor settings by using them as distinctive place recognition signatures. The first citation of positioning based on magnetic anomaly can be traced back to military applications in 1970.<ref>{{Cite patent|title=Guidance system|country=US|number=3789351|pubdate=1974-01-29|assign=United States Secretary of the Navy|inventor1-last=Feldman|inventor1-first=David W.|inventor2-last=Slone|inventor2-first=James C.}}</ref> The use of magnetic field anomalies for indoor positioning was first claimed in 1999,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Golding |first1=Andrew |last2=Lesh |first2=Neal |title=Indoor navigation using a diverse set of cheap, wearable sensors |url=https://www.merl.com/publications/docs/TR99-32.pdf |website=MERL Tech Reports |publisher=MERL - Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories |access-date=9 January 2025 |ref=TR99-32 |location=Cambridge, MA 02139 |date=July 1999}}</ref> with later publications related to robotics in the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Suksakulchai|first1=S.|last2=Thongchai|first2=S.|last3=Wilkes|first3=D. M.|last4=Kawamura|first4=K.|title=SMC 2000 Conference Proceedings. 2000 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics. 'Cybernetics Evolving to Systems, Humans, Organizations, and their Complex Interactions' (Cat. No.00CH37166) |chapter=Mobile robot localization using an electronic compass for corridor environment |date=October 2000|volume=5|pages=3354–3359 vol.5|doi=10.1109/ICSMC.2000.886523|isbn=0-7803-6583-6 |s2cid=14204871 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Aboshosha|first1=Ashraf|last2=Zell|first2=Andreas|last3=Tübingen|first3=Universität|date=2004|title=Disambiguating Robot Positioning Using Laser and Geomagnetic Signatures|journal=In: Proceedings of IAS-8|citeseerx=10.1.1.2.6715 }}</ref>
Most recent applications can employ magnetic sensor data from a smartphone used to wirelessly locate objects or people inside a building.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Global indoor self-localization based on the ambient magnetic field | doi = 10.1016/j.robot.2009.07.018 |journal = Robotics and Autonomous Systems | volume = 57 | issue = 10 | date = 31 October 2009 | pages = 1028–1035 | first1 = Janne | last1 = Haverinen | first2 = Anssi | last2 = Kemppainen }}</ref>
According to Opus Research magnetic positioning will emerge as a “foundational” indoor location technology.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller |first=Dan |url=http://opusresearch.net/wordpress/ |title=Analysis & Expertise in Conversational Commerce |publisher=Opus Research |date= |accessdate=2014-08-02}}</ref>
== Companies ==
=== GiPStech === Independent research brought in 2011 a team of researchers to focus on anomalies to the geomagnetic field as a possible naturally available field to be used for localization of consumer electronic devices.
After some years of research and tests they were able to implement an indoor localization platform that, based on the fingerprinting of a building geomagnetic field and of advanced sensor fusion, was able to precisely locate a device and its user without any infrastructure. Moreover, the platform was also able to compensate most of known issues of local magnetic field variability.
In 2014 the team founded GiPStech<ref>{{Cite web|last=redazione|date=2018-09-05|title=Indoor localization and navigation company home page|url=https://www.gipstech.com/|access-date=2020-10-23|website=GiPStech|language=en-US}}</ref> - as academic spin-off of Università della Calabria - to complete the R&D and commercialize the platform.
=== Indoor Atlas === Professor Janne Haverinen and Anssi Kemppainen worked also on the magnetic approach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oulu.fi/cse/personnel/janne-haverinen/homepage |title=Homepage of Janne Haverinen |department=Department of Computer Science and Engineering |publisher=University of Oulu |accessdate=2014-08-02 |archive-date=2014-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226055602/http://www.oulu.fi/cse/personnel/janne-haverinen/homepage |url-status=dead }}</ref> Noticing that buildings' magnetic distortions were leading machines astray, they eventually turned the problem around and focused attention on the magnetic interferences caused by steel structures. What they found was that the disturbances inside them were consistent, creating a magnetic fingerprint unique to a building.<ref>{{cite web|last=Truong |first=Alice |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3018063/reverse-engineered/indooratlas-hopes-to-unlock-the-holy-grail-of-advertising-with-magnetic-f |title=IndoorAtlas Hopes to Unlock the "Holy Grail of Advertising" With Magnetic-Field Mapping |work=Fast Company | department = Business + Innovation |date=2013-09-25 |accessdate=2014-08-02}}</ref>
Professor Janne Haverinen founded the company IndoorAtlas in 2012 to commercialize the magnetic positioning solution with dual headquarters in Mountain View, CA and Oulu, Finland.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Clark |first=Liat |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-07/09/indoor-smartphone-compass-locater |title=Finnish startup can locate you indoors using magnetic field anomalies |magazine = Wired UK |date= 9 July 2012 |accessdate=2014-08-02}}</ref>
==Issues==
The local magnetic field is affected by moving metal objects like lifts or metal cabinets.<ref name="2012 International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation">{{cite conference | citeseerx = 10.1.1.367.2923 | title=How feasible is the use of magnetic field alone for indoor positioning? | first1 = Binghao | last1 = Li | first2 = Thomas | last2 = Gallagher | first3 = Andrew G. | last3 = Dempster | first4 = Chris | last4 = Rizos | conference = International conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation 2012 (IPIN2012) }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Indoor positioning system