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Abstract

Recent Earthquakes happening in Turkey can have devastating impacts on human communities, while the ability to locate missing persons quickly is crucial to reducing the death toll. However, this task can be challenging when earthquake victims are sparsely distributed in large, GNSS-blocked fields. In this paper, we propose a solution that combines GNSS and acoustic signals to accurately locate missing persons in earthquake ruins. Requiring no infrastructures, our method utilizes accurate acoustic ranging to compensate for the loss of the GNSS carrier phase to achieve higher localization accuracy, especially in complex half-blocked environments or in areas where GNSS signals are weak or even unavailable. The proposed method is not only effective but also shows unparalleled compatibility, making it widely applicable in various disaster response scenarios. Offering a flexible and versatile way of signal combination, AgLoc can be easily compatible with different types of end-equipment, dedicated to providing a solution that enables high-precision localization of first responders and survivors.