September 24, 2012

Automatic building mapping could help emergency responders



A prototype sensor array that can be worn on the chest automatically maps the wearer’s environment, recognizing movement between floors.

MIT researchers have built a wearable sensor system that automatically creates a digital map of the environment through which the wearer is moving. The prototype system, described in a paper slated for the Intelligent Robots and Systems conference in Portugal next month, is envisioned as a tool to help emergency responders coordinate disaster response.