Madrid Team Unveils Next-Gen Home Location Tech802.11az Router: Precision Without Triangulation

A revolutionary router prototype, designed to accurately identify your precise location within your home, has been developed by researchers from Madrid's Polytechnic University (UPM) and Carlos III University (UC3M). This device has the capability to accurately pinpoint a mobile phone's position using state-of-the-art technology.

For years, law enforcement agencies have been able to track a mobile phone's whereabouts by pinpointing the antenna to which it is connected, using a technique known as triangulation. This method, which is the cornerstone of the GPS functionality integrated into contemporary smartphones, requires the coordination of three distinct antennas to precisely locate a device.

The collaborative endeavor of specialists from UPM and UC3M has culminated in the introduction of an innovative router. By harnessing the power of the newly developed 802.11az technology, this router achieves unparalleled accuracy in locating devices, utilizing just two WiFi units along with an advanced positioning algorithm.

This prototype boasts the remarkable capability to determine the location of a mobile device from up to 7 meters away, with a precision of less than 3 centimeters, and can even leverage the reflection of WiFi signals off walls to ascertain the device's position. The research has been detailed in a study published on the arXiv preprint server.

The researchers posit that the ideal method for locating a mobile phone involves using a single station, thus eliminating the need for triangulation. This method necessitates the emission of highly directed antenna signals, made possible through the employment of high-frequency bands.

Technologies operating at high frequencies, such as 5G/WiFi-7, which exceed 20GHz, enable precise targeting of the mobile device and improve the accuracy with which the time of signal arrival is determined. Consequently, high-frequency wireless networks are deemed perfect for the task of locating a mobile phone using a single antenna.

Motivated by a project that utilized WiFi to track the movements of a COVID patient, the researchers set out to devise a method for pinpointing the location of mobile phones using the cutting-edge 802.11az technology. This next-gen positioning technology introduces a fresh approach to determining the whereabouts of mobile devices.

The team explains: "This upgrade to WiFi is engineered to furnish your router with a detailed awareness of your location, through a straightforward mechanism. A 60GHz antenna rotates to pinpoint your position, subsequently initiating a sequence of communications with your mobile phone."

"By recording the time at which each message is dispatched, the router can ascertain the duration the signal remains airborne, thus deducing your distance. The greater the duration of the signal's flight, the further you are from the router."

When the initiative first began, the 802.11az technology was still in the proposal stage, awaiting endorsement by the international community, with router manufacturers yet to integrate this upgrade. Nonetheless, Ph.D. candidates Pablo Picazo Martínez and Carlos Barroso Fernández have pioneered the incorporation of this technology into a router prototype. This prototype, which emits signals at a 60GHz frequency and employs a novel positioning algorithm, demonstrates the potential of future routers to locate objects, such as robots in factories, without the need for cameras or motion sensors, thus reducing costs, and to precisely determine your location within your home.

Ann Castro
Ann Castro Author
Ann Castro carries a total of 7 years experience in the healthcare domain. She owns a Master’s of Medicine Degree. She bagged numerous awards by contributing in the medical field with her ground-breaking notions. Ann has developed her own style of working and known for accuracy in her work. She loves trekking. She visits new places whenever she gets free time.