Magnetic positioning

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. The use of magnetic field anomalies for indoor positioning was instead first claimed in papers related to robotics in the early 2000.

Most recent applications can employ magnetic sensor data from a smartphone used to wirelessly locate objects or people inside a building.

According to Opus Research magnetic positioning will emerge as a “foundational” indoor location technology.