I got a tip recently about Locata, a company that has developed “radio-location technology” that bills itself as a better alternative to satellite-based GPS location. The advantages are that the signal works indoors, and can be set up to blanket whole cities with precise positioning. The technology made its debut at the Asia Pacific Spatial Innovation Conference in Canberra, Australia in November.
The website emphasizes that 32 patents have been granted for this technology, and that there are 60 more patents pending. This Australia-based organization is privately owned, and counts the U.S. Air Force, Trimble, and Caterpillar among its clients. And, the technology is being used widely in the mining sector in Australia, with deployment by Newmont Mining and DeBeers.
The technology is being touted as the answer to a number of applications, such as warehouse automation, industrial control, robotics and emergency services. I’m intrigued by the technology, and hope to see it in person at a tradeshow in order to better understand their approach and application.
