PPL Workshop 2007 Agenda

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Monday, August 6th

7:30 - Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:15 - Welcome: Dr. John Orr, WPI Provost

8:25 - Workshop Overview: Dr. R. James Duckworth

Workshop Overview Presentation (PDF, 0.4 MB)

8:30 - Overview of Requirements and Current Status

(moderator Dr. John Orr)

CommTech Overview: Personnel Location from a NIJ Perspective (PDF, 7.1 MB)
Joseph Heaps, Program Manager, CommTech, DOJ, Office of Science and Technology
Mr. Joseph Heaps is the Program Manager for the Communications Technology (CommTech) Portfolio at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Mr. Heaps will provide an overview of NIJ and its role in the public safety community. Also, the CommTech program will be discussed and its involvement in funding research and development in personnel location technologies. The role of the Technology Working Groups (TWG) will be discussed and its role with NIJ and CommTech.
Developing Performance Metrics and Testing Protocols for First Responder Locator Technology (PDF, 0.9 MB)
Nelson Bryner, Fire Fighting Technology Group, National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
Update on NIST research on development of scientifically based performance metrics and testing protocols for evaluating fire fighter locators. NIST researchers have focused their efforts on transmission quality performance metrics for a matrix of representative building types. Description of different scenarios/environments encountered by fire fighters that are expected to be a challenge to deployment and operation of locator systems. Monitoring the status and environment of firefighters and occupants inside buildings from outside the building is critical for managing the firefighting effort and preserving life. This effort examines the capabilities and limitations of different technologies including multi-nodal distributed systems (ad-hoc networks, fixed path networks, and ultrawide band radio (UWB) locators. Effort will provide performance metrics for non-line-of-sight localization of emergency responders using UWB systems and create a comprehensive digital library of experimentally-derived building material electromagnetic penetration properties that will enable the development of accurate 3D tracking systems for emergency responders operating within buildings. The results from this research will allow incident commanders, both fire service and law enforcement, to track search, rescue, or fire suppression teams within structures. This effort extends research already underway to examine the capabilities and limitations of different technologies in a number of different scenarios. Each of the existing technologies has limitations, so currently, no system based on a single technology appears to address all scenarios and conditions. It may be necessary to combine multiple technologies, such as UWB and fixed path or ad-hoc networks, in order to allow continuous tracking of teams in wood, steel, and concrete structures and differentiate between different elevations, floors and roofs. Are there additional technologies such as ultrasonic-based systems that may provide acceptable performance? Ad hoc networking, sometimes called mesh networking, has often been mentioned as a solution for adapting a radio network to the requirements for reliable communication in an unpredicted network deployment or topology. However, indoor deployments of firefighters do not necessarily support a mesh (grid) of networked radios, and the line of relays from inside to outside, sometimes called "breadcrumbs," is a difficult topology for radio access protocols. In order to implement 3D tracking using UWB systems it is necessary to provide performance metrics for non-line-of-sight localization of emergency responders and create a comprehensive digital library of experimentally-derived building material electromagnetic penetration properties that will enable the development of accurate 3D tracking systems for emergency responders operating within buildings.
SAVER Assessment - Personnel Location Systems (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Joey Pomperada, Electronic Engineer, U.S. Navy SPAWAR
The US Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center has conducted an assessment of commercially available, personnel location and tracking with focus on emergency responder applications. These products used GPS, cellular networks, and RF networks.
Positioning of Incident Responders - Scenarios, User Requirements and Technological Enablers (PDF, 3.5 MB)
Jouni Rantakokko, Project Manager/Scientist, Swedish Defense Research Agency, FOI
We will discuss the user needs and requirements that police officers, firefighters and soldiers have stated for a personnel positioning system. Different scenarios (missions) will be described and the main benefits with a robust, efficient positioning system will be outlined. Different sets of user requirements are then extracted from the described scenarios. Furthermore, we will give a brief "state-of-the-art" description of existing positioning techniques for first responders, and point out where the user requirements are not met by current positioning techniques. Finally, we intend to present initial measurement results obtained with a TDOA-based positioning system in an indoor positioning experiment. We have used a wideband spread-spectrum transmitter inside the building and positioned three receivers outside the building. A simple correlation operation was performed to estimate the time-of-arrivals (TOA) and time-difference-of-arrivals (TDOA), from which the positions can be estimated. The measurements were performed using a bandwidth of 8 MHz, and three different frequencies were tested (178, 306 and 1125 MHz).
Electronic Safety Equipment for Fire and Emergency Services (PDF, 0.5 MB)
Bruce Varner, Fire Chief, Santa Rosa Fire Department (NFPA Committee)
There is a National Fire Protection Association Technical Committee writing standards for Electronic Safety Equipment used by Fire and Emergency Services. To date the committee has rewritten the standard for Personal Alert Safety Systems, NFPA 1982, produced a Proposed "Umbrella" document NFPA 1800, Standard of Electronic Safety Equipment for Emergency Services, which contains basic testing criteria for all Electronic Safety Equipment and is currently working on a proposed document for Thermal Imaging Cameras for Emergency Services, NFPA 1801 This Committee is primarily responsibility for documents on the design, performance, testing, and certification of electronic safety equipment used by fire and emergency services personnel during emergency incident operations, and also has responsibility for documents on the selection, care, and maintenance of electronic safety equipment. This presentation will give a brief overview of the documents and the NFPA process.

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10:00 - Break

10:15 - Inertial Navigation

(moderator Dr. David Cyganski)

The GPS-Denied Navigation and Mapping System (GPS-DNM) (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Erik Lithopoulos and Louis Lalumiere, Applanix Corporation
The GPS-DNM is an Aided Inertial Navigation System (AINS). Following alignment, the system navigates based solely on measurements of motion dynamics and aided by periodic Zero-velocity UPdates (ZUPs). By virtue of its AINS design the GPS-DNM is capable of operating in virtually any environment accessible by dismounts and under any motion profile. Unlike GPS, the accuracy of dead-reckoning systems is distance and path dependant. Typical straight-line performance of the GPS-DNM is 1m/km in the horizontal and somewhat better in the vertical. Future development includes enhanced mapping capabilities and the reduction of the requirement for ZUPs. The development of the GPS-DNM is funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
TRX Sentinel Tracking System (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Dr. Carole Teolis, VP Systems Engineering, TRX Systems
The TRX Sentinel System is a portable solution for location tracking in GPS denied environments. It provides improved situational awareness by allowing a commander to wirelessly monitor the location of all team members both inside and outside structures from a command station. The system uses information from various sensors to improve location. In addition, it has the capability of providing real-time information from other monitoring sensors, for example providing information about the deployed wearer's health status, device condition, and the environmental conditions.
Infrastructureless Location Tracking (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Dr. Henrik Holm, Senior Staff Scientist, Honeywell Labs
The location of personnel and assets in a building represents significant technical challenges for location measurement technology, the placement of reference anchors, inside or around the facility, and the display of the information in a world context that can be understood by the end user. Graphical floor plans provide the greatest level of understanding of the building situation; however such floor plans are usually not available. This significantly limits the usability of an otherwise highly accurate location tracking system. Our research investigates the development of location tracking technologies where building maps are constructed from relative location data exchanged between members of a fire team combined with inertial sensing devices capable of detecting behavior patterns of running, walking, climbing stairs, and moving around obstacles within a structure. This presentation will discuss algorithms for dynamically creating graphical representations in real-time using relative location data generated from radios carried by each member of a fire fighter team. Specific challenges in overcoming the high level of computational complexity required to create 3D renderings together with blending partial inertial sensor information will be discussed.
Personnel Tracking in GPS-denied Environments Using Low Cost IMUs (PDF, 1.8 MB)
Robert Alwood, Electrical Engineer, ENSCO, Inc.
Tracking a person walking in an indoor environment is a challenging technical problem. Although recent developments have enabled GPS to successfully position a person walking in some indoor environments, there are many locations where GPS is denied and other external aiding solutions are unavailable. Unfortunately, no silver bullet exists as a general pedestrian positioning capability in GPS-denied environments. The key to meeting the position accuracy required for a given application is to understand the operational requirements, constraints and the environment where the technology will be used. A basic technology, consisting of aiding an inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a compass, is a viable alternative to GPS in most environments and is self-contained, small, inexpensive and requires only passive sensors (no infrastructure to set up). Additional aiding sensors (barometer, GPS, RF ranging, etc...) can realistically be integrated in some environments. With an unaided inertial navigation system, positioning errors grow with time and can easily exceed tens or hundreds of meters in only a few minutes. There are two fundamental approaches to minimizing these errors in most environments. The first approach consists of mounting the IMU on a person's foot. This provides an opportunity to exploit knowledge of the walking motion to constrain errors and significantly minimize the rate of increase of navigation errors. Navigating the position of the foot allows exploitation of the fact that the foot comes to rest momentarily at each step; this brief period at rest serves as a zero-velocity update to a Kalman filter. Since position errors are directly correlated to velocity errors, position error growth is constrained at each step; hence the cumulative position errors are significantly reduced. The second approach consists of integrating a digital magnetic compass to provide heading updates to a Kalman filter to constrain heading errors, which are the dominant remaining source of position errors. The use of a compass in some indoor environments can be difficult when ferrous construction materials can cause the measured total magnetic field strength to deviate by as much as half of the Earth's total magnetic field strength. ENSCO, Inc has demonstrated algorithms to effectively exploit magnetic data even in steel-framed structures. ENSCO, Inc. has successfully developed and demonstrated two pedestrian geolocation technologies which incorporate these approaches. The first system consisted of using tactical-grade MEMS IMUs (~1 deg/hour gyros and ~$10,000) to locate an operator who walked 45 minutes through a limestone mine with a net positioning error of a few meters. ENSCO is currently developing a second system based upon a much smaller, inexpensive, and lower-performing industrial-grade MEMS IMU (~1 deg/sec gyros and ~$1500) for first responder applications. The system consists of an IMU integrated with a compass that is targeted for real-time meter-level position accuracy over 10-15 minutes of free-navigation. Preliminary evaluation of the technology looks promising, with room-level, floor-level positioning errors while walking; current efforts are focusing on running and crawling and walking with the positioning system mounted to a fireman's boot over a range of temperatures encountered during first responder applications.
E-PINS: A Portable Inertial Navigation System for Emergency Crews and First Responders (PDF, 2 MB)
Joel Gillet, Vice-President-Land Products, Zupt LLC
Inertial Navigation Systems have long been used for aerospace and underwater navigation as well as military vehicle positioning. They are found particularly useful in conditions where the high frequency GPS radio signal is denied such as forested and urban areas or on the battlefield. Zupt LLC has developed an unaided backpack portable inertial navigation system small enough to be carried by emergency crews inside buildings, underground and any situation where the GPS signal is denied. The 3D accuracy of the position is in the order of 1 to 2 meters per kilometer and the position can be transmitted in real time for remote mapping and tracking on most current software applications.

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Noon - Lunch with Keynote Speaker

DHS Science and Technology and First Responder Advanced 3-D Locator (PDF, 4 MB)
Jalal Mapar, Program Manager, S&T Directorate DHS

1:30 - RF-Based Positioning

(moderator Dr. R. James Duckworth)

Tracking and Search Using Non-Line-of-Sight Ranging
Geoffrey Hollinger, Joseph Djugash and Sanjiv Singh, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
We will present results from experiments using non-line-of-sight ranging measurements from ultra-wideband radios to track a moving target in a known environment. We will also demonstrate an algorithm using mobile robots equipped with these sensors to efficiently search for a target with unknown location.
Indoor Positioning Using PTTs (PDF, 0.8 MB)
Dr. Guttorm Opshaug, Project Manager, Rosum Corporation
Discussion and presentation of accuracy and availability data for the Rosum TV GPS Hybrid Positioning Module (HPM). Wide area TV-positioning technology test results greatly improved performance even from last year 10-50m. Discussion and presentation of local-area test results showing 4-6m accuracy in local deployments.
WPI Precision Personnel Locator: 3D Performance (PDF, 2.7 MB)
Dr. David Cyganski, WPI
Faculty and graduate students at WPI for the past seven years have been developing a system for precision indoor location of first responders with a deployable, zero-infrastructure system which requires no site-specific training. The approach is based upon using only medium bandwidth, spectral-compliance-friendly waveforms and restricting the mobile unit to a low cost, transmitting device. Novel signal processing methods have been developed for the amelioration of the extreme multi-path conditions found in typical structures which disrupt TDOA and other ranging approaches to precision location. Since last year’s presentation and demonstration based upon a signal confined to a 60 MHz wide band, we have implemented a new 150 MHz bandwidth reconfigurable software radio platform . Using this new system, improved signal processing methods, and new wide band antennas we have demonstrated location in a multi-level residential structure with 1 foot accuracy. In the talk we shall show recent results of this research including 3-D location performance and the operation of basic personal environmental and physiologic monitoring functions which have been added to the system.

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Sensor Fusion Approach

Indoor Geo-location for Military Applications (PDF, 0.3 MB)
Kesh Bakhru, Senior Research Scientist, Cubic Defense Applications
Indoor Position Location and tracking for Military Operations in Urban Operations where GPS is not available. The work describes a sensor fused system approach to the positioning and tracking of war fighters in military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) where GPS is not reliably available such as in buildings or in dense urban environment. The approach is to fuse data from a dead reckoning system (DRS) consisting of few sensors like an accelerometer and a gyroscope that provide the distance traveled and the orientation of the war fighter. These sensors are packaged in a small unit that can be worn by the war fighter. The data from the DRS is then combined with the data obtained from an independent RF based system that measures the war fighter's position through time of arrival (TOA) and also direction of arrival (DOA) techniques. The RF measurements involve a small transceiver worn by the war fighter that responds to query from few transceivers named as the Access Points (AP's) that the war fighter leaves at suitable positions near the entrance and around the building. The AP's measure the two way range between each AP and the war fighter by TOA method and then use triangulation to find the war fighter's position relative to various AP's. It is assumed that AP's have GPS receiver available and therefore their position is known. At the same time the war fighter's position is also estimated through the direction of arrival measurements from two different AP's by geo location method at the intersection of two beams one formed by each AP using a Phased Array Antenna System. Due to urban or indoor environment research is also being conducted to develop algorithms to provide solution under multi-path and or non line of sight propagation conditions The data from all the above measurements is fused together to locate accurately the position of the war fighter and track his/her position in time. All the data is also provided to the squad leader who can visualize the relative position of every war fighter on a PDA. Work is continuing as an internal research and development project. A DRS has been designed and developed that operates with a grid filter to provide an initial approximate position. Work is continuing to provide an RF system for position location through TOA and AOA subsystems. The goal is to fuse the data and provide path constrained tracking with an estimate of the position better than sub-meter accuracy.
Network Navigation with No Infrastructure for First Responders (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Larry Schatzmann and Joseph Nicosia, L-3 Communications
Many approaches have been developed in the nascent technology of personal navigation for urban warriors, first responders, or others who must operate in areas where GPS is partially or completely denied. Typically, these approaches center on basic trilateration using previously established infrastructure or data fusion of multiple sensors on a single individual. IEC has developed and implemented an approach which combines the desirable features of both of these approaches, allowing fully optimal, collaborative navigation of multiple members of a network without requiring any infrastructure. Other members of the network serve the function formerly provided by infrastructure elements, and algorithms which are both optimal and decentralized combine all available navigation measurement data across the network to effectively 'boot-strap' each other's navigation solution. The result is an ad hoc, fully decentralized, fully optimal navigation solution providing the location of every member of the network, even in scenarios wherein no single member is capable of accurate navigation autonomously.
Multisensor Dead Reckoning (PDF, 2.1 MB)
Dr. Thomas P. Bronez, Senior Principal Signal Processing Engineer, The MITRE Corporation
Pervasive Personal Navigation Determining the physical position of dismounted personnel is a critical capability for a wide variety of missions. The Global Positioning System (GPS) has proven indispensable for this, yet GPS reception can be inaccurate, unreliable, or denied in many environments, including natural or urban canyons, heavy foliage, and inside structures. Traditional dead reckoning approaches are limited by rapid error accumulation. The objective of this project is to develop novel methods and equipment that emergency responders and other dismounted personnel can use for three-dimensional position determination and navigation. This system will provide absolute positioning through high-sensitivity GPS when available and also provide high-accuracy relative positioning during GPS outages through novel dead-reckoning techniques. The system will include navigation applications and be suitable for dismounts. We are developing innovative body-worn sensors along with corresponding position estimation algorithms to develop position in three dimensions. We are integrating the dead-reckoning subsystem with high-sensitivity GPS. We are collaborating with an academic human motion laboratory for early virtual sensor design studies and later experimental sensor evaluations. We will develop and field-test a navigation prototype with low-power, wearable form-factor. Successful development of these techniques will enable dismounted personnel to determine their physical position and navigate with high reliability and accuracy in many modern GPS-impaired environments. Personal location-aware applications will improve the situational awareness and effectiveness of teams of emergency responders.

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3:45 - Break

4:00 - Demonstrations

(coordinator Bill Michalson)

Aided-Inertial Navigation and Mapping in GPS-Denied Environments (Campus Center, Hagglund Room)
Erik Lithopoulos and Louis Lalumiere, Applanix Corporation
In-building real-time navigation will be demonstrated using aided-inertial technology. Following initial alignment the system can accurately navigate for hours without any infrastructure support. In-building mapping will also be demonstrated. In-building map data can be collected quickly and efficiently using aided-inertial in conjunction with imaging sensors. Georeferenced photomaps of buildings combining indoor and outdoor views can be generated quickly and deliver an effective means for training, mission planning, and real-time mission support.
TRX Sentinel Tracking System (Campus Center, Mid-Century Room)
Dr. Carole Teolis, VP Systems Engineering, TRX Systems
The demonstration will show the capability of the TRX Sentinel to track people within a building from the portable laptop command station.
E-PINS: A Portable Inertial Navigation System for Emergency Crews and First Responders (Campus Center, Hagglund Room)
Joel Gillet, Vice-President-Land Products, Zupt LLC
While an operator is carrying the unaided E-PINS through a building, a computer can track his progression in real-time on mapping/tracking software such as Google Earth Plus or equivalent. The operator himself can do the same as he goes (even without visibility).
Wilson Fire Department-End User Interface (Campus Center, Mid-Century Room)
Ted Steinbrecher, VP Business Development, Group 1 Solutions, Inc.
Chief Don Oliver, Wilson Fire Department
Fire Chief Don Oliver will present the graphical interface evaluated by his department, showing personnel tracks in a 3-D visualization tool. Developed with input from multiple emergency response agencies, this interface optimizes the view at the incident command post. Essential to the design criteria was that the interface be able to display multiple personnel within both 2-D and 3-D matrices, utilizing an intuitive graphical-user interface directed at public safety departments. The chosen vendor, Group 1 Solutions, Inc., successfully met these criteria and has developed a visualization that is ready for market. Chief Oliver will talk about the critical importance of this technology to protecting fire service personnel and the need for a rapidly-deployable interface which can display tracks from any source technology.

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5:00 - Adjourn

(continue with demonstrations as required)

6:00 - Reception

7:00 - Barbecue

Tuesday, August 7th

7:30 - Continental Breakfast

8:15 - Homing Systems

(moderator Dr. R. James Duckworth)

Firefighter Rescue: Location/Tracking/Navigation Synergy (PDF, 2.6 MB)
Dr. Wayne C. Haase, President, Summit Safety, Inc.
The presentation will discuss the distinction between tactical activities (such as resource management and accountability) and rescue activities. The difference between locating a disabled firefighter (for example, on a computer screen) and navigating along a path to that firefighter (in order to rescue him) will be explored. The Pathfinder System, an ultrasonic location/navigation system integrated into the firefighter's self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and currently marketed through Survivair, will be discussed and compared to other technologies. System/technology requirements and limitations will be discussed. Examples of typical rescue operations and comparisons of rescue times using different techniques will be presented.
Man-tenna (PDF, 0.8 MB)
Dr. David Cyganski, WPI
The Man-tenna is an RF homing device for the location of lost first-responders that was first demonstrated at this conference last year. It provides a low cost alternative to a full 3-D precision location system at the loss of long range operation and command/control information. While only providing short range (50 feet and less), direct path direction and distance information, its low frequency signal penetrates many metallic barriers that block and reflect typical RF location signals. Using DSP technology developed in this project, the Man-tenna provides distance and direction information which is unaffected by rotation of the transmitter on any axis, hence unaffected by the posture of the person to be rescued. The hand-held Man-tenna wand is simple to use: it provides audible and visual indicators that the rescuer simply follows to the location of the rescue target. The extremely low cost and intuitive operation of this device potentially fulfills the requirements for immediate universal deployment. The talk will describe recent improvements in the Man-tenna design and its performance.

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Complementary Technologies

FireTeam-Link: Virtual Team Tether (PDF, 1 MB)
Bruce Schmutter, President, Windowman, Inc.
In addition to providing 3-D responder location capabilities and firefighter command and team-to-team communication, WMI’s technology embarks on a superior methodology to emergency response by creating an intelligent interface between the firefighter and the fireground itself. WMI’s fireground/first responder system incorporates programmable command and control information nodes controlled by entity software. This building entity management system offers functions including facilitating NFPA Life Safety code compliance and extensive reporting, fireground reconnaissance and first responder information, location and repeater functions. Pre-incident building-wide installation of WMI’s entity system affords reliable, validated, real-time reporting on information such as current fire door status, water system conditions, number and location of people on what floors, fire location and intensity, air-quality conditions, and elevator system integrity. Command and control nodes are programmable to control doors, lighting, air control, alarms, etc., providing a return on investment regardless of incident with efficient inexpensive day-to-day building management. In an incident event, the building system seamlessly converts into a first-responder information resource, communications and control system. Building-wide monitoring frees firefighters from dangerous on-site reconnaissance upon entry, reducing unknowns in critical moments where action and speed are essential. WMI’s system additionally provides dispensable, inexpensive thermally fortified nodes for first responder emergency deployment. These “breadcrumb” reporters place condition monitoring, location tracking and communication systems in locations where they are not preinstalled. WMI technology provides both fireground reconnaissance and firefighter communications:
- Most authorized wired and wireless communication protocols are available
- Stationary pre-incident installed nodes provide building conditions, X-Y-Z firefighter coordinate verification and mesh network repeaters
- Mobile, deployable fireground reconnaissance systems provide X-Y-Z coordinates of the firefighter to command and team-to-team
- The fireground itself provides a validated reconnaissance, system control and information interface for firefighter command
- First responder wireless, integrated virtual tether provides: 1) team-to-team and command communications 2) real-time validated firefighter vital signs monitoring including heartbeat, respiration and his internal and external turnout gear temperature at six locations – arms, legs, torso and the firefighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (S.C.B.A)
- Redundant onboard and remote journals of the event and the response
- Building occupant and first responder monitoring
- Automatic sensor data polling at staircases, fire doors and elevators, reporting potential dangers directly to firefighters upon approach
- Elevator status including occupation, tenability, and operating capacity reported to firefighters upon approach
- Current Conditions, fire alarm, smoke alarm, elevator status, HVAC monitor and control
- Egress management including fire-door status and remote control, displays estimated time of arrival for elevators and total estimated evacuation time for stairs vs. elevators
- Egress component current conditions and individual area gas and thermal signature data broadcast building-wide and to command
- Floor-landing sensors ensure that elevators only stop on tenable floors
- Reports delivered as complex drawings, fast JPGs or text messaging to cell/PDA
- Full voice team-to-team and command communication
Wilson Fire Department-End User Interface (PDF, 1 MB)
Ted Steinbrecher, VP Business Development, Group 1 Solutions, Inc.
Fire Chief Don Oliver, Wilson Fire Department
Fire Chief Don Oliver will present the graphical interface evaluated by his department, showing personnel tracks in a 3-D visualization tool. Developed with input from multiple emergency response agencies, this interface optimizes the view at the incident command post. Essential to the design criteria was that the interface be able to display multiple personnel within both 2-D and 3-D matrices, utilizing an intuitive graphical-user interface directed at public safety departments. The chosen vendor, Group 1 Solutions, Inc., successfully met these criteria and has developed a visualization that is ready for market. Chief Oliver will talk about the critical importance of this technology to protecting fire service personnel and the need for a rapidly-deployable interface which can display tracks from any source technology.
Body Worn/Wearable Antennas (PDF, 0.5 MB)
Marshall W. Cross, VP R & D, MegaWave Corporation
The effects of the human body on VHF/UHF body worn and body wearable antennas are both well known and documented in the literature, such as the recent ARTECH House book by Hall and Hao, "Antennas and Propagation of Body-Centric Wireless Communications." Much less has been published regarding this class of antenna in the presence of worn and carried accoutrements on humans and liquid-filled phantoms located, from standing to prone, over lossy surfaces. The ability of using a liquid-filled phantom for a human test subject to accurately simulate the effects of: the body, worn accoutrements and a nearby lossy surface are shown by means of a series of experimental measurements using an automated system developed by MegaWave and the University of Connecticut. Several VHF/UHF body worn and body wearable antenna systems' VSWR and power gain radiation patterns are presented for both standing and prone positions over lossy surfaces. The measured results are compared with those derived from EM modeling.
The Facility Map Framework for Integrating Enterprise and Responder Location Systems (PDF, 0.7 MB)
Steven A.N. Shafer, Principle Researcher, Microsoft Corp.
The Facility Map Framework is a prototype for enterprise location data, allowing the integration of many types of location data into a single platform. This would support many end-user applications, including some first-responder applications. The emphasis is on providing business benefit for the enterprise to promote standardization, rather than depending on government mandates or regulation.
US ARMY CERDEC/C2D Program in Urban/Indoor Positioning and Navigation (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Paul M. Olson, Chief Engineer, Battle Command Applications Division, C2D, CERDEC, RDECOM
Maintaining current situation awareness information is critical to evolving Army command and control capabilities. With that the accuracy and availability of position information is directly affects operational effectiveness and this requires continuous and timely position information from all relevant platforms on the battlefield including the urban and indoor environments.
Yet, the urban and indoor environments are the most challenging domains for location determination, in large part due to electromagnetic clutter that prevent reliable use of GPS and other RF type systems. Man-wearable navigation systems present additional challenges in this setting because wearability and power constraints prevent the use of high-accuracy inertial systems.
The US Army at the Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center (CERDEC) has stepped up to address this challenge. It is developing, integrating and demonstrating a diverse suite of navigation sensors that can be fielded as a man-wearable system and that, when properly integrated, yield a navigation system that will perform roubstly in urban environments.
CERDEC recently the completed the Advanced Positioning/Navigation and Tracking the Future Force (APNTFF) program which focused on integrating four sensors - a MEMS IMU, a military GPS receiver, a pedometer, and an RF ranging system – into an integrated navigation system, and conducted testing in urban environments for accuracy, robustness, and overall utility for the warfighter.
This presentation will review the US Army CERDEC’s efforts in Urban and Indoor location, and the results from the APNTFF program with regards to tests conducted in the later part of 2006.
Physiologic Monitoring of First Responders (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Paul Nahass, Director, Technology Commercialization, Foster-Miller, Inc.
Foster-Miller has developed a system to remotely and continuously monitor first responders, based on a rugged field design developed for and tested by the US Army. The system monitors and records heart rate, respiration rate, activity, skin temperature, and work intensity level, with all sensors embedded in an comfortable “electro-textile” undergarment. Vital signs data for over 100 responders can be simultaneously transmitted up to a distance of 500 meters. Real-time alarm parameters are set for each user based on their personal physiologic history, and display a Red, Yellow or Green assessment to assist incident commanders make decisions. Integration with other sensors, including location systems, are in development, and the system has been tested by several first responder units.

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10:30 - Break

10:45 - Demonstrations

(coordinator Bill Michalson)

Body Worn/Wearable Antennas (Campus Center, Mid-Century Room)
Marshall W. Cross, VP R & D, MegaWave Corporation
MegaWave will demonstrate some of its broadband VHF/UHF communication and direction finding antennas designed to be body-worn and some body-wearable. The antennas, integrated into vests and other clothing placed on a phantom will be connected to VHF/UHF transceivers and alternatively to a hand-held vector network analyzer that will display swept VSWRs.
Watchdog™ Physiologic Monitoring System (Campus Center, Hagglund Room)
Paul Nahass, Director, Technology Commercialization, Foster-Miller, Inc
Foster-Miller’s will demonstrated its system capability to monitor vital signs of first responders in real-time and transmit data to a PC or PDA. The responder wears a t-shirt with embedded sensors and transmitter under protective gear and data are sent up to 500 meters to an intuitive user interface. The incident commander can make decisions about personnel based on pre-set alarms or customize the settings based on experience or the user’s history.
Man-tenna Homing Device (WPI Multicultural Center)
Dr. David Cyganski, WPI
The Man-tenna RF homing device will be demonstrated at a nearby residential structure demonstrating its freedom from RF multipath and shielding effects. A transmitter hidden at various locations in the two floor dwelling will be found by simply following the path indicated by the audible and visual signals provided by the Man-tenna. It will also be shown how the Man-tenna can be used to quickly determine the part of the building in which the target can be found from outside the building, and how its direction information provides quick determination of the floor to search.
Rescue with the Pathfinder System (WPI Multicultural Center)
Dr. Wayne C. Haase, President, Summit Safety, Inc.
The Pathfinder system, an ultrasonic location/navigation system integrated into the firefighter's self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), will be demonstrated in typical rescue scenarios. The Pathfinder system consists of Beacons (Firefighter, Exit, and Auxiliary) which transmit an ultrasonic signal, and a Tracker which indicates the direction of the strongest signal. By heading in the direction of the strongest signal, the Tracker can rapidly locate the Beacon.
WPI Precision Personnel Locator: 3D Performance (WPI Religious Center)
Dr. David Cyganski, WPI
The new 150 MHz bandwidth implementation of the WPI PPL system will be demonstrated at a nearby residential structure demonstrating its high precision operation despite the multipath environment generated by appliances, wiring, plumbing, window screens, etc. Using receivers placed outside the building, and using no site specific training information, a person will be tracked throughout the two floor dwelling in real time. The demonstration will also demonstrate the tracking of multiple targets and the simultaneous display of the target’s environmental temperature, heart-rate and movement information.

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12:00 - Lunch with Keynote Speaker

Technology - Who Needs It?
Charlie Dickinson, Deputy Assistant Administrator, United States Fire Administration

1:30 - Parallel Working Sessions on the State of the Art

RF-Based Positioning and Sensor Fusion (Odeum, moderator Dr. David Cyganski) (PDF, <0.1 MB)
Inertial Navigation (Mid-Century Room, moderator Dr. Bill Michalson) (PDF, <0.1 MB)
User Community Feedback (Hagglund Room, moderator Tom Kennedy, CTC) (PDF, <0.1 MB)

2:30 - Plenary Working Session

(moderator Dr. R. James Duckworth)

State of the art and primary unsolved problems
Progress from last year
Answers to Specific Questions

3:00 - Plans for the Future: A Technology Roadmap

(moderator Dr. R. James Duckworth)

3:30 - Adjourn

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Last modified: Oct 11, 2007, 13:58 EDT

PPL Workshop 2007 Agenda

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Monday, August 6th

7:30 - Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:15 - Welcome: Dr. John Orr, WPI Provost

8:25 - Workshop Overview: Dr. R. James Duckworth

8:30 - Overview of Requirements and Current Status

10:00 - Break

10:15 - Inertial Navigation

Noon - Lunch with Keynote Speaker

1:30 - RF-Based Positioning

Sensor Fusion Approach

3:45 - Break

4:00 - Demonstrations

5:00 - Adjourn

6:00 - Reception

7:00 - Barbecue

Tuesday, August 7th

7:30 - Continental Breakfast

8:15 - Homing Systems

Complementary Technologies

10:30 - Break

10:45 - Demonstrations

12:00 - Lunch with Keynote Speaker

1:30 - Parallel Working Sessions on the State of the Art

2:30 - Plenary Working Session

3:00 - Plans for the Future: A Technology Roadmap

3:30 - Adjourn