Ortung

Ortung is a German noun meaning localization or localisation, the act of determining the position of a person, object, or event. In engineering and science it denotes the process of locating something in space or context, often using measurements, models, and algorithms. The term is used across fields, sometimes with domain-specific emphases, but the core idea is the estimation of location.

In geodesy and surveying, Ortung refers to determining geographical coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude) of a point on Earth. Techniques include triangulation and trilateration, often supported by global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Data processing accounts for sensor error, atmospheric delay, and clock biases to produce a position estimate with an uncertainty.

In seismology, Ortung denotes the determination of an earthquake's epicenter and hypocenter using arrival times of seismic waves recorded by a network of sensors; algorithms estimate origin time, location, and magnitude, with uncertainties depending on station coverage and wave propagation models.

In telecommunications and mobile services, Ortung describes locating a device via signal measurements from towers, Wi‑Fi, or satellites, using multilateration, time difference of arrival, or angle of arrival. Privacy, regulatory, and accuracy considerations are important, particularly in urban environments with multipath effects.

In robotics and computer vision, localization is the process of estimating the agent's pose within a map or environment, often as part of SLAM and sensor fusion that combines camera, lidar, and inertial data.

Overall, Ortung encompasses a family of location-estimation techniques, with applications ranging from navigation and mapping to safety and logistics, and is subject to errors and uncertainties inherent in measurements and models.