IIT Madras new real-time indoor mapping technology could aid disaster relief operations

new delhi: researchers at indian institute of technology (iit), madras, have developed an innovative real-time indoor mapping solution that can generate precise maps under any lighting or environmental conditions. according to officials, the breakthrough technology is especially vital for first responders during disaster relief operations as traditional infrastructure often becomes inaccessible or unreliable during public safety emergencies. called 'ubiqmap', this lightweight technology leverages radio frequency-based imaging to create detailed maps of indoor environments. the technique is called radio tomographic imaging or rti. an indian patent has been filed for the technology and the research has also been published in the journal 'ieee transactions on mobile computing'. "the rti systems rely on a network of wireless transceivers deployed at fixed locations. as these transceivers communicate, the wireless signal strength weakens when obstructed by structures. this reduction in signal power is analysed to reconstruct the structural layout or floor map of the area," said ayon chakraborty, assistant professor, iit madras. "ubiqmap introduces a portable approach by removing dependency on pre-installed infrastructure. instead, it employs wearable transceivers that can be easily worn by rescue personnel. as team members move through the environment, these devices automatically determine their positions and continuously update the floor map, providing an accurate layout of the area," he added. chakraborty explained that in the long term, ubiqmap holds the potential to become a foundational technology for smart cities and autonomous systems, enabling advanced mapping operations in complex indoor environments. "public safety incidents, particularly search and rescue operations, are often hindered by lack of accurate and up-to-date indoor building plans. even when maps are available, they typically fail to capture real-time dynamics essential for effective mission planning during disasters. "our technology offers first responders a robust and portable tool to image indoor environments without dependence on the visual line of sight or extensive computational resources, making it an invaluable asset in complex, time-critical scenarios," chakraborty said. the team has tested the technology in a controlled setup within a few residential units at iit-m campus. "these trials allowed us to validate the system's functionality, though the movement and localisation of the transceivers were carefully managed during the tests. an important ongoing focus is optimising the choice of wireless frequency. "this involves balancing better indoor penetration with higher imaging resolution -- an essential tradeoff in the design of wireless sensing systems. additionally, we are integrating ubiqmap with visual modalities using sensor fusion. currently, we are in the process of prototyping a wearable version of the technology to prepare for field trials in real-world scenarios," the assistant professor said.