NREC is working with Carnegie Mellon’s Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department and the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems (ICES) to develop wearable navigation systems for DARPA. The Micro-inertial Navigation Technology (MINT) system finds a person’s location by keeping track of his or her footsteps. No satellites or other external references are needed. MINT is intended for places where GPS isn’t available: inside buildings, underground, and beneath the tree canopy in forested areas.

MINT’s main components are pairs of inertial measurement units (IMUs) and miniature radar antennas. They’re placed inside shoes and track every step a person takes. A wearable computer uses this information to estimate the person’s location. It then transmits this location to a command center, which monitors the position of every MINT wearer. ICES and ECE are developing the custom inertial and radar sensors; NREC is doing the algorithms and integration. Energy requirements will be low enough that the process of walking will generate enough power to run the system.

MINT’s defense applications revolve around locating soldiers in GPS-denied areas. MINT would make it easier to coordinate soldiers on missions like searching caves and clearing buildings. Mission visualization and rehearsal would be enhanced by using MINT, since the positions of every soldier could be
closely followed.

Safety is another key use for MINT. With MINT, first responders (such as police officers, fire fighters and paramedics) could be located at all times, even when they’re inside buildings. Underground miners could be found more easily when accidents occur. Unmanned vehicles would know exactly where people are working around them, making them safer to operate. MINT could also be used to enhance digital motion capture and virtual reality.