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Thales give live demo of Indoor Positioning System
Thales UK
A live demonstration by Thales Research & Technology carried out in early May successfully showed their new Indoor Positioning System (IPS) technology at the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire.
After several years work developing ultra-wideband (UWB) technology for tracing and positioning, as part of EU Fp6 Europcom project, the demonstration of the equipment to the emergency services community and others relevant parties represented a major milestone.
The demonstration involved the use of Thales’ UWB IPS in two separate fire-training scenarios of firefighters within burning buildings. Guests were able to observe the location of all firefighters on large screens and hear the dialogue, provided by Hampshire Fire Service, between commanders and crew as firefighters entered and searched the building.
The IPS technology is ideal for emergency services personnel in hazardous environments where limited visibility or a lack of knowledge about their surroundings could be dangerous. Where before commanders would have little way of knowing where their firefighters were placed, the IPS system gives them the ability to efficiently deploy their crews and to rescue injured firefighters or causalities.
