Instead of focusing on a single type of signal to map indoor areas, researchers at Duke University and Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology are developing software to help smartphone users find their way by gathering information from a number of different signal types. Their UnLoc system—short for unsupervised indoorlocalization—gathers signal data using wi-fi antennas, cellular radios, compasses,gyroscopes and accelerometers. UnLoc tags each of these signals as a virtual landmark. One example would be an elevator whose distinct pattern of movement can be detected by a smartphone's accelerometer, according to the researchers, who presented their UnLoc system on June 27 at the 10th International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services (MobiSys 2012) in Low Wood Bay, England (pdf). Similarly, a particular corridor might be configured with a unique set of wi-fi access points that the smartphone can read. UnLoc envisions these kinds of signatures as internal landmarks within a building, according to the researchers, who are led by Romit Roy Choudhury, an associate professor of computer engineering at Duke. Landmark information could then be stored in individual phones or shared as part of a larger database that maps indoor environments in more detail.--tradingmic.com