GPS or Global Positioning System, a technology that we use frequently in our daily life, has become an indispensable part of our lives in terms of both navigation and mapping. On the other hand, we see that this technology does not provide sufficient efficiency inside the buildings and underground. However, this problem may disappear very soon. Engineers in Japan have succeeded in developing an alternative technology that uses cosmic rays to replace GPS.MuWNS, the new alternative to GPS
For those who don’t know, GPS today uses an extensive network of 24 satellites orbiting the Earth. Electronic devices that receive signals from at least four satellites can track distance and relative position on the ground. However, let us remind you that although this technology is sufficient for daily use, GPS signals can easily reflect off rocks, water and surfaces such as walls.
Therefore, sufficient efficiency cannot be achieved inside buildings and even in dense residential areas. Researchers at the University of Tokyo have managed to develop a new technology they call the muometric wireless navigation system (MuWNS) to eliminate these problems. The most important feature of the technology is that position “signals” can pass directly through solid materials.
All obstacles will be removed
According to the research, these signals will be based on muon particles formed when cosmic rays hit our atmosphere. Today, it is stated that these particles are evenly distributed on the Earth’s surface and always move at the same speed regardless of what material it is. Let us remind you that a similar study was successful in examining solid structures such as the Great Pyramid of Giza and in testing a precision clock synchronization system that works both underground and underwater.
Returning to the research, the MuWNS system, which was tested in a multi-storey building where GPS signals were inefficient, was able to achieve high accuracy with reference stations functioning like GPS satellites.
In the above image showing how the muometric wireless navigation system (MuWNS) works, the green dots represent the reference stations on the 6th floor of the building, and the white lines represent the muons. The red line in the basement represents the path the researcher followed with the muon detector, and the white dotted line represents the path determined by MuWNS.So how well does this system work? Lead author of the study, Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka MuWNS, said the current accuracy is “between 2 m and 25 m (6.6 and 82 ft) depending on the depth and speed of the walker”, and up to “100 m (328 ft)”. It offers range,” he said. He also added that the technology works as well as single-point GPS in urban areas, but is far from practical. This is due to latency issues.
At this point, the researchers say, humans need one-metre accuracy, which can be corrected with atomic clocks, which are currently too expensive for widespread use. Therefore, we can say that we have to wait for a while for the new technology. Researchers say that work will continue for the MuWNS system.
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