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GPS tracking technology has come a long way. Location tracking and navigation were once limited to maps and routes outlined by pen. The technology was eventually improved by radio signals which can measure long distances and detect other radio signals. GPS tracking is simply an extension of the radio technology. Instead of measure radio signals on Earth, where countless interferences occur, like storms and mountains, the signals are coming from satellites in space. However, with each new improvement in technology, new limitations are revealed.

The next advancement in location tracking technology is indoor location tracking. Unfortunately, despite the incredible accuracy provided by GPS tracking, the technology is limited when devices are inside buildings. GPS requires a line of sight to best receive signals, meaning that walls and ceilings interfere with the tracking signals. Google was the first to develop and launch indoor position tracking with their “My Location” feature in Google Maps. The technology works by analyzing radio signals and/or Wi-Fi hotspots. Alternatively, indoor tracking could be achieved by measuring the device’s distance from the closest trackable GPS location, like a building’s doorway.

“This area is set to explode,” suggests Grizzly Analytics founder, Bruce Krulwich. “It’s the logical next step for what people are using phones for.” Several companies have filed patents involving the development of indoor tracking technology. According to research conducted by Grizzly Analytics, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm and Research In Motion (RIM), all have developed significant research for indoor tracking. Krulwich adds that although Google has a first-mover advantage, the research developed by Microsoft and Nokia make it quite “likely someone else will come out with something better.” He predicts that Microsoft and Nokia will launch a similar service sometime in 2012.

Photo by thms.nl through Flickr Creative Commons