BANSHEE

Hybridization of E-GNSS and WiFi ranging for LBS and automotive Accurate Navigation in Smart city

The GNSS market and technology is rapidly evolving, following on the one hand the push of increasingly sophisticated technologies and employing of complementary techniques and, on the other hand, the pull from the users who have growing demands in terms of positioning accuracy, continuity, availability and interoperability with other systems. Additionally, the price of the GNSS user equipment is decreasing.

Within this framework, by filling the gaps and addressing the market needs, the BANSHEE project was conceived with the aim to develop a hybrid technology combining WiFi ranging and satellite navigation (GNSS) that allows an accurate, seamless indoor-outdoor navigation. 

The BANSHEE project’s outcome is a market-driven solution for Smart City environments, as the applications for this technology are extensive (e.g., improved smartphone connection between indoor and outdoor environments, fleet management, monitoring the flux of people in large infrastructures and/or warehouses).

The BANSHEE project was set up with the ambition to deliver a market-ready, accurate, ubiquitous, and scalable navigation solution for urban environments that intends to hybridise GNSS and WiFi ranging to enhance navigation performance in urban scenarios. 

The scope of work included the demonstration of the technology in two key market segments: consumer solutions (smartphones) and road & automotive (vehicle navigation units).

Challenge and technical solution

The BANSHEE team designed, developed and validated an indoor-outdoor positioning solution for mass-market services targeting a meter level accuracy, promoting its findings and developments through dissemination activities. In detail, the BANSHEE solution combines GNSS and Wi-Fi ranging in a new positioning engine adopting Wi-Fi ranging based on Time-of-arrival (the new 802.11mc protocol) assuring seamless indoor-outdoor navigation.