Knowing exactly where you are in the world, to the centimetre, is going to get a whole lot easier thanks to a new ultra-accurate GPS system. Researchers at University of Texas created the system, which will be able to provide centimetre-accurate GPS locations on mobile phones, tablets and other mass market devices.
As well as being embedded in mobile phones, potential applications range from self-driving cars to virtual reality. The system, which allows cheap antennas to access location data, may also be used in delivery drones to help them drop-off parcels at an exact location.
The researchers also said that an ultra-accurate GPS could also be used to create virtual reality games that are tied to the user’s exact location. “Imagine games where, rather than sit in front of a monitor and play, you are in your backyard actually running around with other players,” said Todd Humphreys the project’s lead researcher.
“To be able to do this type of outdoor, multiplayer virtual reality game, you need highly accurate position and orientation that is tied to a global reference frame.” There’s also a potential for the technology to be developed into future Samsung mobile phones, as the electronics giant has been working with the researchers.
The researchers are developing a “snap-on accessory that will tell smartphones, tablets and virtual reality headsets their precise position and orientation,” according to the university.