Well-deployed technologies
The Geolocation API provides a common interface for locating the device, independently of the underlying technology (GPS, Wi-Fi networks identification, triangulation in cellular networks, etc.).
The Sensing feature of the OGC SensorThings API allows IoT devices and applications to CREATE, READ, UPDATE, and DELETE (i.e., HTTP POST, GET, PATCH, and DELETE) Internet of Things (IoT) data and metadata in a SensorThings service. It is designed based on the ISO/OGC Observations and measurements (O&M) model. The geographical Locations of Things are useful in almost every application and as a result are included as well.
Specifications in progress
The Orientation Sensor features allows the monitoring of a device's physical orientation in relation to a stationary 3D Cartesian coordinate system. This feature is part of the Motion Sensors feature described in the Roadmap of Web Applications on Mobile.
The Geolocation Sensor is an API for obtaining geolocation reading from the hosting device. The feature set of the Geolocation Sensor is similar to that of the Geolocation API, but it is surfaced through the Generic Sensor API, allows continuous geotracking and geofencing (one-time alerts when a user crosses a specific area) operations in the background, improves security and privacy, and is extensible.
| Feature | Specification / Group | Maturity | Current implementationsSelect browsers… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Orientation Sensor Devices and Sensors Working Group |  | Shipped: Polyfills |
| Geolocation | Geolocation Sensor Devices and Sensors Working Group | | Polyfills |
Exploratory work
Web Video Map Tracks (WebVMT) will offer a way to synchronize a device's location with sensor data such as location data. This allows you to combine a video stream, captured while moving, with synchronized data about its position on earth.
| Feature | Specification / Group | Implementation intentsSelect browsers… |
|---|---|---|
| Video geotagging | WebVMT: The Web Video Map Tracks Format Spatial Data on the Web Interest Group |