Smartphone-assisted location identification algorithm for search and rescue services

Mobile device localization and location-based services have become an integral part of our lives, especially after the advent and dramatic widespread use of Smartphones. Hence, people have become very much attached to and dependent on their Smartphone in their daily lives due to the advanced features and technologies equipped within, among which are the Global Positioning System and Wi-Fi. In case of natural or man-made disasters, victims may get stuck under rubble, where the global positioning system or cellular phone signals may be either unreachable or not strong enough to make a call or provide location information with enough accuracy; bearing in mind that, mostly, the infrastructure gets dismantled during catastrophes. In such situations, locating and rescuing victims is a very tough and time-critical task. This paper presents a new algorithm that allows the Smartphones of the rescuers and the victims to seamlessly collaborate in order to estimate the locations of the victims without relying on any infrastructure. The algorithm uses both the Received Signal Strength Indicator of the Wi-Fi signals and the global positioning system location information of the rescuers' phones to estimate the locations of the victims; based on well-known mathematical communication theory models. The performance of the algorithm was evaluated via computer simulation and the results demonstrated that, under reasonable practical conditions, the victim location can be estimated relatively quickly and accurately.