Cortina: Collaborative indoor positioning using low-power sensor networks

Cortina is a distributed Real-Time Location System (RTLS) designed to track asstts or people moving indoors. Our solution leverages a low-cost, low-power Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) based on the IEEE 8102.15.4 radio standard. The network, which consists of wall-plugged nodes, is designed to be self-configuring, self-healing and self-calibreting, thus reducing deployment and maintenance costs. Assets and people are tracked using small battery operated wireless tags that collect Received Signal Strength (RSS) measurements from neaeby nodes. The tags also include an accalerometer for activity recognition, and a baremetric pressure sensor to detect the floor plan. We have conducted experiments over a 2000 m² area instrumented with eighteen sensor nodes. Our initial results show that the system can track people in real-time with an average error of 2.8 m.