Future Directions, Technologies, Standards and Applications

June 16-17, 2008
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Rd
Worcester, MA, USA

Multimedia Announcement (10/13/08)
Video presentations have been added to the Program section. Pictures from the workshop have been added to the Image Gallery section.

Workshop Conclusion (07/11/08)

Ubiquitous Localization Technologies are the Keys to the Growth of Emerging Wireless LBS Applications Conclusions from the First International Workshop on Opportunistic RF Location for Next Generation Wireless Devices
WORCESTER, Mass. – July11, 2008 – Imagine walking down the street of an unfamiliar city. You’d like to know where to find the nearest ATM, a good Italian restaurant in the neighborhood, or the times for the shows at a nearby cinema. You could stop a stranger, or just ask your smart phone with its location-based services (LBS).

With more than two-thirds of Americans and over three billion people worldwide now carrying a traditional cell phone wherever they go, and with smart phones rapidly replacing these traditional devices, the wireless industry is working to create a new class of location-based services. These display a map on the relatively large smart phone screen, showing the customer the location of nearby businesses, attractions, or even friends.

While much of this effort focuses on the introduction of new localization applications, before the potential of wireless localization can be fully realized, technology must be developed that is able to take advantage of the ubiquitous array of localization information that already exists to pinpoint the location of a wireless device no matter where the user happens to be.

That was one of the key conclusions of the nearly 50 experts from industry and academia who gathered in June for the inaugural International Workshop on Opportunistic RF Localization for Next Generation Wireless Devices, held recently in the WPI Campus Center. Sponsored by WPI’s Center for Wireless Information Networks (CWINS), the workshop was designed to bring together the key players in this new technology area to address the state of the field and explore the technical and business hurdles it still must clear. Ubiquitous hybrid localization technologies are among the most important, notes Kaveh Pahlavan, professor of electrical and computer engineering at WPI, CWINS director, and workshop general chair.

“The wireless networking industry has long recognized the importance of the ubiquitous availability of services to assure coverage for everyone, everywhere, and for all the time,” he says. “Currently, a number of companies and labs are pursuing competing approaches to the problem of accurate, reliable wireless localization. None of these technologies is able to cover all locations all the time, and each has different power requirements and needs a different amount of time to calculate a location. The consensus at the conference was that hybrid and opportunistic localization techniques must be an important priority as we move forward.”

Indeed, he noted, workshop attendees agreed that the technological challenges associated with accurately and reliably locating wireless devices will likely be solved by using multiple sources of location information (GPS satellites, cell towers, WLAN access points, ratio and TV broadcasting towers, and so on), either in hybrid combination or by opportunistically seeking out the most reliable source at a particular location or point in time.

Likewise, Pahlavan says, participants said addressing customer concerns about privacy will become increasingly important as localization technology becomes more common. To deliver location-based services to customers, wireless carriers must continually monitor their exact location. Without privacy protections, this localization information could be intercepted or misused by others. “Localization opens the door to a wealth of exciting applications, from social networking to education,” Pahlavan says.”But it also presents important technical challenges, not the least of which is balancing the benefits of readily available location information with the desire of consumers to determine how and when that information is revealed.”

Pahlavan says the workshop participants, who included researchers and executives from such wireless and location technology leaders as Verizon Wireless, Broadcom, Qualcomm, Skyhook Wireless, TruePosition, and Polaris Wireless, agreed that the market for localization is quite large, though the potential is difficult to measure, since localization will be included in a host of new applications that have yet to be identified. They also agreed that standards are important for long term development, quality and privacy. However, they noted, if standardization and privacy issues are not addressed judiciously, they may become a burden and impede the growth of wireless location services.

For those interested in more details about the workshop discussions, video of the proceedings will be available at www.cwins.wpi.edu/workshop08/.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. WPI's 18 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to the BA, BS, MS, ME, MBA and PhD. WPI's world-class faculty work with students in a number of cutting-edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, and information security, materials processing, and nanotechnology. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspective Program. There are more than 20 WPI project centers throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Workshop Announcement (06/06/08)

WPI to Host International Workshop on Location Technology for Wireless Communications
The June 16-17 Meeting Will Produce a Vision for the Future of Ubiquitous Location
WORCESTER, Mass. – June 6, 2008 – Leaders in wireless location technology from industry and academia will gather at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on June 16 and 17, 2008, for the inaugural International Workshop on Opportunistic RF Localization for Next Generation Wireless Devices. The workshop will focus on the challenges of developing methods for accurately and reliably determining the position of cell phones and PDAs, technology that is at the heart of a new generation of mobile communications applications.
“Within just the past year, location technology has emerged as a core element in wireless communications,” notes conference general chair Kaveh Pahlavan, professor of electrical and computer engineering at WPI and director of the university’s Center for Wireless Information Networks. “Already, consumers are using GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, and cell tower triangulation for navigation, social networking, and location-based searching. Wireless companies are anxious to expand on these uses, for example by delivering content or applications specifically tied to a wireless user’s proximity to businesses or other locations.”

Pahlavan says the challenge wireless providers face in delivering location-based services is that consumers expect them to be precise, highly reliable, and always available. Meeting these expectations will require new technologies that capitalize on existing wireless infrastructure. “In addition to traditional GPS satellites,” he says, “there are hundreds of millions of WLAN access points, tens of thousands of cell towers, and many broadcasting towers for radio and TV services. These can be exploited opportunistically to locate wireless devices outdoors and indoors. The differences in bandwidth, coverage, localization algorithms and geographical distribution of these sources provide opportunities for creating new hybrid localization technologies.”

WPI, which enjoys an international reputation for its research in wireless data networks, organized the workshop to bring together leading researchers, business leaders and applications engineers to define a vision for ubiquitous localization and to discuss how the wireless industry can respond to that vision. The participants, which include researchers and executives from such wireless technology and location technology leaders as Verizon Wireless, Skyhook Wireless, Broadcom, and QUALCOMM, will review the state of current technologies, business models, and standards, and explore how they might be modified to meet evolving consumer demands.

To learn more about the invitation-only workshop, visit the workshop website, www.cwins.wpi.edu/workshop08/. Media interested in attending the workshop should contact Michael Dorsey, WPI director of research communications, at mwdorsey@wpi.edu or 508-831-5609.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. WPI's 18 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to the BA, BS, MS, ME, MBA and PhD. WPI's world-class faculty work with students in a number of cutting-edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, and information security, materials processing, and nanotechnology. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspective Program. There are more than 20 WPI project centers throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Also available: http://www.wpi.edu/News/Releases/20078/wirelesslocation.html