Precision Indoor Personnel Location and Tracking for Emergency Responders

Second Annual Technology Workshop, August 6-7, 2007

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA

Workshop Focus

This Workshop will provide a forum for researchers and developers working in the important area of indoor location and tracking of personnel to share technical knowledge and to define the state of the art. The focus is on the emergency response situation. The focus of this workshop is zero pre-installed infrastructure tracking, that is systems that do not require any previously installed wiring or equipment in the target building, such as is required by RFID-type systems. Further, the focus is on systems which provide complete tracking and position information on all equipped personnel to the incident command post. Simpler approaches ("homing devices") will also be considered for inclusion in the Workshop. Select representatives of the governmental and user communities will participate.

Workshop Organization and Results

Working sessions will be organized around the major technical challenges. It is expected that all participants will contribute from their own experience and will share knowledge and best practices.

A Report will be published shortly after the conclusion of the Workshop, including the submitted abstracts from the participants and synopses of the discussions and conclusions of the Workshop itself.

Call for Participation and Registration

Potential participants are invited to submit a proposal for their contributions to the Workshop via the "Request to Participate Form".

There is no registration fee. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and housing costs.

Session Topics

Final session topics will be determined based upon participant interests and contributions. The following are representative:

Location and tracking experimental results: successful and unsuccessful tests
Indoor propagation studies
RF ranging and positioning algorithms: performance in the indoor environment
System architectures
Inertial navigation and dead reckoning approaches
Spectral coordination and licensing issues
Antenna issues
Novel approaches (non-RF, non inertial)
User requirements vs. real-world performance

Keynote Speakers

Jalal Mapar, Program Manager, DHS S&T Directorate
Chief Charlie Dickinson, Acting U.S. Fire Administrator, USFA
Joe Heaps, National Institute of Justice, DOJ

Workshop Deadlines

Submission of "Request to Participate" Proposals: May 31, 2007

Notification of acceptance: June 15, 2007

Registration deadline: July 13, 2007

Travel and Hotel Accommodations

WPI is easily accessible from the Boston or Providence airports via either rental car or airport shuttle services.

Please refer to the WPI website for Directions, Maps, Accommodations, Dining, etc.

A block of rooms is being held by the Courtyard Worcester, 72 Grove Street, Worcester, MA 01605, 508-363-0300. Individuals should reference “WPI CTC Workshop” when making their reservations. The rate is $134 a night. The hotel is about 5 minutes walk from the WPI campus.

Information Contact

For further information please contact Colleen Sweeney, ECE Department, WPI , 508-831-5231, sweeney@ece.wpi.edu.

Workshop Sponsors

WPI

Founded in 1865, WPI was one of the nation's earliest technological universities, and it continues to innovate in research and in education.

CTC

The mission of the Public Safety Technology Center in Westboro, MA is to link innovation, technology and best practices for government, public safety organizations, businesses, universities, and research laboratories.

Maintained by ppl@wpi.edu
Last modified: Aug 24, 2007, 15:14 EDT