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I'm trying to find a solution for pinpointing indoors, specifically inside big crowded places, like malls for example.

I tried building a simple app that tried to pinpoint the phone using only the Network service or Wifi networks.

Usually when Wifi was on the accuracy got to 40-60 meters, and when the wifi was off and only the network service was used, the accuracy got to 600-1000 meters.

Unfortunately that really is too inaccurate for my needs. I read that Google have successfully added an accurate solution for indoors navigation ( http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/google-maps-indoor-navigation-las-vegas-ces-2012/ ) , so I guess there might be a possible way to achieve a higher accuracy. 5-10 meters accuracy should suffice.

I'd be happy to get any kind of advice!

Thanks!

Dror
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  • What evidence do you have that Google's indoor mapping solution has accuracy better than your 40-60 meters? What evidence do you have that there exists any indoor technology that is capable of 5-10 meter accuracy? – CommonsWare Mar 15 '12 at 19:30
  • Look at the article I linked to, and search in google about google's indoor navigation, the results are quite good, it seems like they managed to enable accurate indoor pinpointing. – Dror Mar 15 '12 at 23:14
  • The article you linked to says absolutely nothing whatsoever about accuracy. It says it "worked", with no definition about what "worked" means. – CommonsWare Mar 15 '12 at 23:32

2 Answers2

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The only way to accurately estimate your indoor position is by mapping the signal of known radio hotspots (i.e. wi-fi). That's why the indoor navigation feature has been implemented just for a few locations.

drakyoko
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  • Okay so lets say I know what's a certain wifi hotspot geo-coodrination, now how can I improve android's pinpointing abilities in that area? (Techincally, in code). Also, can I map cellular network antenas as well? – Dror Mar 15 '12 at 23:11
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    You have to map the strength of the signal across the whole building or estimate the attenuation of the signal based on the distance (very inaccurate as the attenuation can change a lot depending on walls etc). Plus, to triangulate your position you need at least 3 wifi hotspot. – drakyoko Mar 17 '12 at 10:00
  • @drakyoko What I observed was that the wifi signal is not exactly a decreasing function. It also increases abruptly at times between. Same was observed with a lightly loaded access point and a phone hotspot with no connected device. – vin Feb 04 '19 at 09:48
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In highly trafficked public spaces, indoor location solutions tend to be based on WiFi mapping combined with known map information. That approach allows an increase in the accuracy of the location information you will get from your cellular device (over results from testing performed in locations not yet mapped). The actual error rate will depend on how dense and well mapped the WiFi hot spots are, whether they are in stable locations or tend to be moved around, the accuracy of the floor plans, and the effectiveness of the algorithms that integrate the floor plan information (e.g., defining which paths may be navigated by people, for example).

Other organizations are deploying infrastructure in public spaces (e.g., Nokia - Bluetooth-based). This solution assumes you control the infrastructure (and assumes the latest Bluetooth technology).

I work for TRX Systems and we are complementing these existing technologies with sensor and map fusion technology. In this approach, we fuse information from a multitude of sensors - including signals of opportunity (GPS, WiFi, cell triangulation, Bluetooth), embedded sensors (inertial, altimeter, ranging, compass), and known and inferred map information, to deliver an accurate location indoors.

Carol

Carol Politi
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