Today, GPS is as common-place as the telephone or the internet. We have become accustomed to the fact that anything or anybody can be traced on a map. But as soon as we enter a building, we lose this option.

There are many situations in which it is important, practical, or just fun to track people or objects indoors. To name a few:

• Emergency situations: where are the victims and the fire fighters in the building?
• Tracking expensive or important objects: artworks in a museum or the portable X-ray machine in a hospital.
• Large conferences or expos: indoor navigation through the stands
• Surveys and experiments: how do customers browse through my store? Where are the major people flows in this mall?
• Location-based services: warn travelers to hurry to their gate, offer relevant discounts to shoppers, or more information about a painting in a museum.

Sense Solution
Sense offers technology to track people or objects with great accuracy, even indoors. Solutions make use of MyriaNed wireless sensor networks.

A number of static nodes are installed in the building at a fixed location. This sensor network determines the location of mobile nodes fixed to objects or given to people.

Alternatively, people can be tracked through their smartphone. This offers the extra advantage of being able to individually address them with information or offers, or allowing them to use indoor navigation tools.

Sensors that can be used for indoor Tracking & Tracing include:

• MyriaNed wireless sensor network with static and mobile nodes
• Smartphones (Sense Platform app)

Advantages:

• Install as many nodes as you need: MyriaNed nodes are simple and thus very cheap
• The nodes are small, so you can easily hide them from sight
• MyriaNed needs almost no configuration at the site, making it suitable for temporary use during a short exhibit, experiment or event
• No more searching for people or objects
• Offer relevant information or services at the right moment