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