Abstract: A method includes receiving relative position data from a laser range finder, where the relative position data includes a distance and a relative angle between a first node and a second node measured by the laser range finder from a first position of the first node. The method may also include computing a second position of the second node based on the relative position data, providing the second position of the second node to a computing device of one or more of the first node and the second node, and computationally reconstructing a route traversed by the first node and the second node from a number of computed positions for the first node and the second node based on data received from the laser range finder.

Abstract: A method includes receiving relative position data from a laser range finder, where the relative position data includes a distance and a relative angle between a first node and a second node measured by the laser range finder from a first position of the first node. The method may also include computing a second position of the second node based on the relative position data, providing the second position of the second node to a computing device of one or more of the first node and the second node, and computationally reconstructing a route traversed by the first node and the second node from a number of computed positions for the first node and the second node based on data received from the laser range finder.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring data includes an information platform to identify a navigational position of the information platform; a first near field communication (NFC) device attached to the information platform to transmit navigational position data; and a second NFC device to receive the navigational position data from the first NFC device through a NFC data transfer process to establish a navigational position of the second NFC device relative to the first NFC device and without further communication from the first NFC device. The information platform may be stationary. The information platform may be moving. The information platform may include any of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) platform, an inertial navigation system, and a cell phone. The NFC data transfer process may occur within one second.