UCSD Division Demonstrates Location-Based Applications at BREW Conference
6.01.2005 – A team of researchers and students at Calit2’s UCSD division, led by John Zhu, has developed a cellular platform for location tracking. The system has been used in various Calit2 research projects, including RESCUE (homeland security), WIISARD (coordination of emergency medical care in a disaster), a security-related application with the UCSD campus police, and an application to monitor locations of UCSD campus buses. Some of these applications are being demonstrated this week at the BREW 2005 Conference in San Diego.
|
“BREW is the best mobile application platform on the market,” said Zhu. “Its integration of graphical user interface, networking, telephony, and location technology fits supports our research and development related to homeland security extremely well.”
The system is built using the latest Assisted GPS (AGPS) technology and BREW, a QUALCOMM product that enables developers to “create and deliver new wireless data products and services with minimal resource and capital investments.” BREW stands for Binary Run-time Environment for Wireless.
Based on AGPS, a user uses a cell phone to track an object, e.g., a campus bus, using a real-time map to view the object’s current location and speed. GPS tracking is done via commercial cell phone instead of a separate GPS device.
AGPS is the combination of GPS and mobile technology. It is small, embedded inside the cell phone, and works both outside and indoors.
The system is built using a client-and-server architecture. The client resides on the cell phone, and the server resides on a Java-based Web server.
The complete system will include the following components and related software:
- Cell phone with AGPS and BREW, including software on the cell phone to perform GPS fixing and networking to the server for data exchange. The GPS data include the latitude, longitude, horizontal speed, direction, and altitude of the object being tracked.
- Java-based Web server for system management, GIS engine integration, and support for a Web-based user interface.
- Java-based client application for real-time viewing or playback of tracked objects. The display supports street and aerial maps along with the position, travel speed, time stamp, and identity of the tracked object.
For more technical information on the project and software developed, please contact John Zhu, johnzhu@soe.ucsd.edu .
Media Contacts
Related Links
RESCUE
WIISARD
BREW