At the heart of the system is a rail with clip-on antennas moving along it, each emitting a radio signal. The smartphone receives these and, knowing the speed of light, calculates the distance to each antenna from the time delay. The principle is akin to space navigation using pulsars — natural radio beacons with incredibly steady rhythms.
The twist: the phone initially has no clue where the antennas are on the rail. It's like solving an equation where the unknown appears both in the base and the exponent. By analyzing multiple pulses, the device simultaneously determines its own coordinates and the transmitters' positions. Centimeter accuracy is achieved; an error of just a billionth of a second would mean a miss of 30 centimeters. This level of precision puts the method in the same league as photometry — measuring minute light fluctuations from distant stars.
The technology is a lifesaver in warehouses, airports, and shopping malls — anywhere GPS signal is weak. Just install a guide rail, and gadgets will pinpoint their own path down to the centimeter.
A signal zips from antenna to phone at light speed. A one-billionth-of-a-second timing error throws you off by about 30 cm — almost the system’s entire accuracy margin.
The technology is reminiscent of the tricorders from 'Star Trek'—devices that always pinpointed the location of crew members.