New Advances in Indoor Navigation

Dear Colleagues,

Contrary to outdoor environments, there is no overall solution based on a single technology for indoor navigation. Challenges include the complexity of the environments, low probability for line-of-sight (LOS) availability, blockage of signals and severe multipaths, and autonomous sensor deficiencies, but also the accuracy, availability, and reliability requirements of the chosen application. Thus, it is not easy to model radio propagation indoors, and therefore, alternative technologies are needed. A large variety of techniques and devices are used to provide indoor navigation, ranging from already deployed reconfigured devices to the use of smartphones. Lights, radio waves, magnetic fields, acoustic signals, and behavioral analytics can be used. For absolute positioning, usually either purpose-built installations with strategically placed relays and beacons throughout a defined space or so-called signal-of-opportunity are employed. Common systems include Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity), UWB (ultra-wide band), Bluetooth, etc. However, digital cameras and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) are being increasingly utilized, as they are nowadays found in mobile devices. Moreover, inertial sensors for relative positioning and navigation using the commonly employed dead reckoning technique are used. To obtain optimal indoor navigation solutions, sensor fusion techniques are also of high importance. The application of indoor navigation ranges from the navigation of persons and objects, such as to help visitors to find their destination in real time without deviations, to finding objects in complex building structures. Furthermore, systems must be able to define and adapt routes for different user groups, such as in the navigation of people with reduced mobility or visual impairment. This Special Issue aims to address these developments and provide insight into the related challenges and strategies for mitigation.

Dr. Guenther Retscher
Dr. Andrea Masiero
Dr. Salil Goel
Dr. Vassilis Gikas
Guest Editors

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• user localization
• absolute and relative positioning
• pre-installed positioning systems
• signal-of-opportunity
• vision-based positioning
• LiDAR
• inertial navigation
• mobile device