Next Generation of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

8Application Specific Issue – Localization

How to use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can become very different depending on the application. Of course, the main objective of these technologies is to provide a means of wireless data/information delivery from one device to another. However, due to their unique characteristics in all layers of the network, other methods of utilization are currently being proposed for future services that we did not previously anticipate. One representative application of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is in indoor localization. The main objective of indoor localization is to calculate relative positioning of physical entities not through the actual data transmission but through the characteristics of the physical radio signal emitted through the air. Then, why is indoor localization so important? This question can be answered through numerous examples and use cases for commercial purposes (shopping malls, product advertising, etc.), but here two real-life extreme use cases are given to emphasize on the growing need of this technology, especially with regard to our well-being.

The sinking of MV Sewol: In 2014, the Sewol ferry sunk in the west coast of South Korea, mainly due to overloading and incompetency of the captain. In the ferry, more than 300 people were trapped, due to mis-timed evacuation signals. Around 250 of these people were high-school students, participating on a field trip. Even though the ferry completely capsized, there were air-pockets within the ...