Indoor navigation using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons
Herrera Vargas, Milan (2016)
Turun ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201603082971
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201603082971
Tiivistelmä
The popularity of indoor navigation has significantly increased during the last decade. Nowadays, many studies aim to develop new indoor navigation systems and improve the accuracy of the already existing ones. Unfortunately, no definitive method for indoor navigation has been approved yet, which is why this type of systems are not as accessible as those used for outdoor navigation.
The purpose of this thesis is to introduce the concept of indoor navigation and demonstrate how common electronic devices can be used to create a simple indoor navigation system. In order to do this, a mobile Android application that helps users navigate inside a building was developed. Signal readings and other information broadcasted by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices, known as beacons, were used as reference for this application. In addition to this, adapters and sensors integrated into the mobile device were used to track the user’s movement. The application is also capable of providing information to the user related to their location using additional data attachments associated to the beacons.
This application is only a prototype meant to provide an idea of how indoor navigation could be possible using no more than a smartphone and few BLE beacons. Even though the system proved to work quite well within the testing area, there are still plenty of aspects that can be improved.
The purpose of this thesis is to introduce the concept of indoor navigation and demonstrate how common electronic devices can be used to create a simple indoor navigation system. In order to do this, a mobile Android application that helps users navigate inside a building was developed. Signal readings and other information broadcasted by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices, known as beacons, were used as reference for this application. In addition to this, adapters and sensors integrated into the mobile device were used to track the user’s movement. The application is also capable of providing information to the user related to their location using additional data attachments associated to the beacons.
This application is only a prototype meant to provide an idea of how indoor navigation could be possible using no more than a smartphone and few BLE beacons. Even though the system proved to work quite well within the testing area, there are still plenty of aspects that can be improved.