From research to real-world impact:

How positioning technology is saving lives

Innovation isn’t always about reinventing the wheel – it’s about making it work where it never could before. GPS has revolutionized navigation, but it struggles indoors. Anyone who has tried using Google Maps inside a shopping mall or airport knows the frustration – you’re often left guessing which floor you’re on, or even which building. But in critical situations, that lack of accuracy can mean life or death – in a fire on a ship, during a prison security incident, or when first responders search for people in a crisis.

That challenge led to Traxmate, a real-time indoor positioning platform that enables tracking, geofencing, and positioned alerts. While Combain, a leader in wireless positioning, delivers the core technology, Traxmate transforms it into an actionable tool for security and emergency response.

Solving the indoor positioning challenge

The journey began at Lund University’s Faculty of Engineering (LTH), where researchers and Combain aimed to solve the challenge of accurate indoor positioning using AI and existing WiFi networks. This breakthrough system enables real-time indoor location tracking without additional infrastructure, benefiting safety, security, and asset-tracking applications. One example is body-worn cameras from Axis Communications, which rely on GPS but fail indoors. An AI-driven indoor positioning project was developed with LTH, Combain, Traxmate, and Axis to address this.

Bridging research and industry

While Combain supplies the raw positioning data, Traxmate delivers the full solution – visualizing movements, creating geofences, and enabling historical tracking. Together, they provide a game-changing tool for safety and security applications.

Today, Traxmate integrates Combain’s technology into solutions for Axis Communications, LifeFinder, and other organizations that rely on accurate positioning to protect people and assets. What started as academic research evolved through close collaboration with Combain and is now a critical tool for saving lives in the real world.

Why positioning matters more than ever

Positioning technology has long been associated with navigation apps and logistics, but in many industries, knowing exactly where someone is isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about safety.

On ships, automatic fire extinguishing systems cannot be activated until they know where every crew member is located. LifeFinder’s system, powered by Traxmate, ensures that no one is left behind.
In prisons, guards who feel threatened can trigger a silent alarm, instantly sending their exact position to security teams.
For security staff wearing bodycams, positioning technology ensures that footage is accurately linked to location data, providing evidence in case of disputes.
In industrial settings like mines and factories, precise tracking helps optimise workflows and ensures that personnel stay out of hazardous areas, and provides alerts at incidents.

This ability to track movement with 1–5 metre accuracy indoors – something traditional GPS cannot do – is now being deployed in Axis’ latest bodycams, making it the first bodyworn camera with this ability.

The role of matchmaking in deep-tech innovation

Building complex, industry-specific technology doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires collaboration between researchers, startups, and established companies – and sometimes, it takes a matchmaker to bring the right people together.

Traxmate’s journey involves multiple key partnerships, here are some examples:

Lund University, where the foundational research was conducted
Combain, which developed the core positioning technology
Traxmate, which built the complete system to tie it all together
Axis Communications, which integrated it into their bodycams
LifeFinder, which is applying it in maritime safety

OpenTech played a role in this journey by facilitating industry connections and creating the kind of ecosystem and platforms where academic research finds its way into real-world applications.

These collaborations have not only brought new products to market but have also strengthened Sweden’s position as a hub for deep-tech innovation.

What’s next? Taking positioning technology to new frontiers

The need for precise indoor positioning is growing across industries – from security and emergency response to smart buildings and industrial automation. Traxmate is expanding its work into IoT applications, collaborating with global players like Sony Semiconductor Israel to push the technology even further.

But beyond the technology itself, this journey highlights how innovation thrives – when research, startups, and industry collaborate to turn ideas into real-world impact. Sweden’s deep-tech ecosystem continues to drive solutions that don’t just improve efficiency but save lives.

From research to real-world impact:

How positioning technology is saving lives

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