Student Proposes Open Source Alternative To GPS Based On Seismic Waves

Global positioning system (GPS) satellites are great for getting around and looking up directions and smartphones and tablets, but they are controlled by the US Defense Department, which has degraded public signals in the past, and one European art student thinks that an open source alternative based on ground vibrations would be better.

Philipp Ronnenberg, a masters student in design interactions at the Royal College of Art in London, recently showed off the first prototype sensors for his alternate "Open Positioning System," which are designed to pick up regular seismic waves given off by large machinery in nearby power plants and factories. [...]