Tenured scientist (científico titular) since July 2008 at the Center for Automation and Robotics (CAR)
Spanish Research Council (CSIC)
Department: Localization and Exploration for Intelligent Spaces (Lopsi)
Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain
My profile in Scopus, Google Scholar and ResearchGate.
Research areas: Localization in GPS-denied areas, Bayesian fusion of RF-beaconing, GNSS and PDR techniques, smartphone localization, GNSS applications, location-based services
Contact email: fernando.seco@csic.es
I was born in 1972 in Madrid, and hold a degree in Physical Sciences from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1996) and a PhD in Physical Sciences from UNED (2002); my thesis dealt with the magnetostrictive generation of ultrasonic signals in waveguides applied to a linear position sensor. Since 1997, I have worked at the Center for Automation and Robotics, a joint center of the CSIC and the Polytechnic University of Madrid, where I hold a tenure scientist position. I co-founded the Lopsi research group, whose name corresponds to Localization and Exploration for Intelligent Spaces.
Scientific contributions: My research interests lie in the design and development of Positioning Systems, especially those operating in indoor, GPS-denied environments. I have made contributions in the exploitation of current smartphone sensor capabilities such as wifi and bluetooth radios, and the fusion with inertial sensors, magnetic compass and processed GNSS raw signals to extend outdoor localization to indoor areas seamlessly, by using Bayesian fusion techniques. My results are applicable in the field of Ambient Intelligence and Location-Based Services, as well as applications for personal mobility and indoor/outdoor navigation of autonomous vehicles.
Societal contributions: my research is oriented to some of the topics posed by current Societal Challenges R&D program for 2021-2023 (which are in turn aligned with Horizon Europe’s research objectives), mainly the inclusion of all members of society in the digital age, sustainable mobility for greener cities, and healthy and active ageing.
International collaborations: I have published some 100 contributions in the form of scientific articles, communications to national and international conferences, and book chapters. I have also participated in 30 research projects and in the steering committee of international conferences, as well as given postgraduate conferences at several universities. I also collaborate with the international conference IPIN (Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation), by co-organizing (in parallel with the conference) a competition in which positioning systems developed by different groups worldwide are evaluated in a unified way. This initiative allows a documentation of the evolution of the field of indoor localization, which is frequently used as a reference by new researchers joining the field.
Educative contributions: During my scientific career, I have made an effort to communicate my research to students, through conferences, master and PhD lectures and tutorials, as well as advising master and PhD candidates and other collaborators in our group. I have also served in numerous PhD evaluation panels, and tried to host graduate students in the Lopsi group as much as funding and time would allow.
Last update: December 20th, 2023