Magnetic Field-Based Positioning Systems

This paper provides an introductory survey on the various systems that exploit magnetic fields for positioning. Such systems find applications in those scenarios, both indoors and outdoors, where global navigation satellite systems are not available or fail to provide information with the needed accuracy. While the main idea of using electromagnetic fields to provide position information dates back to the past century, new application-led research on this topic has emerged in recent years. Results have expanded the application range of magnetic positioning technologies and form now a domain of knowledge that enables realization of positioning systems applicable to indoor and outdoor environments. This paper provides the main characteristics of different positioning systems with focus on those solutions that are based on low-frequency magnetic fields. Some background theory is presented and positioning results from the literature are analyzed and compared.