Aground-basedsystemthatusesmuchstrongersignalsthanGPScanfindyourlocationincitiesandindoors.ItisanewpositioningsystemthatcouldcompetewithGPStomakesureyouneverloseyourdirectionsagain.
InsteadofsatellitesLocatausesground-basedequipmenttolauncharadiosignaloveralocalizedareathatisamilliontimesstrongeronarrivalthanGPS.Itcanworkindoorsaswellasoutdoorsandthemakersclaimthereceiverscanbeshrunktofitinsidearegularcellphone.EventheUSmilitarywhichinventedGPStechnologysignedacontractlastmonthagreeingtoalarge-scaletestofLocataattheWhiteSandsMissileRangeinNewMexico.
“Thisisoneofthemostimportanttechnologydevelopmentsforthefutureofthepositioningindustry”saysNunzioGambaleCEOandco-founderofthefirmLocatabasedinGriffithAustralia.
AsfortheLocata’saccuracyChristopherMorinoftheUSAirForcetesteditrecentlyatWhiteSandsanditworkedtowithin18centimetersalonganyaxis(轴).Morinsaysitshouldbepossibletogettheresolutiondownto5centimeters.
AdmittedlythetestswereperformedinanopendesertwhereGPSalsoworksbeautifullybutitssignalsareweak—likeacarheadlightfrom20000kilometersaway—andeasilyblockedbysolidobjects.“Locata’ssignalisfarstrongerthoughnotguaranteedtoworkinacomplexurbanenvironment”saysDavidLastconsultanttotheUK’sGeneralLighthouseAuthorities.
“Locata’stechnologywillfacecompetitionintheracetotransformindoornavigation.Butitcouldshineinspecificareas”Gambalesays.“RobotswithLocatacouldeasilynavigateinsidebuildingswithoutthecomplexopticalsystemstheyneedatthemoment.Andprocessthathandlepreciselocationdatacouldnotonlyguideyouaroundamallrailwaystationorairportbutalsotakeyoutotheexactshelfinashopfortheproductyouwant.Theunitssmallandcheapenoughforsmartphonesshouldbeavailablewithinfiveyears—asimilarpathtotheoneGPStookonitswaytowardsworlddomination.”
1.Thepassageiswrittenmainlyto.
A.encouragepeopletobuytheLocata
B.tellusthedisadvantageoftheGPS
C.introduceanewpositioningsystemLocata
D.tellusthatLocatawillreplaceGPSoneday
