Smartsense navigation system works where GPS won't - indoors
The Smartsense system provides real-time turn by turn navigation indoors
It's not that long ago that GPS capabilities in a mobile phone were
considered a standout feature. Today, GPS navigation is standard for
smartphones, and as a result, many of us have come to rely on them when
it comes to getting from A to B. However, GPS technology isn't without
its faults, and if A to B is located under a roof, out of sight of the
orbiting GPS satellites, then you can end up falling back on the not
always reliable sense of direction. To fix the problem, Fraunhofer
Research is developing Smartsense, a smartphone sensor capable of
providing accurate navigation indoors, without the aid of GPS.
While Fraunhofer isn’t the first to take a crack at indoor navigation,
Smartsense appears to have a great deal of promise - particularly for
sprawling indoor areas such as shopping malls or convention centers. At
its core, Smartsense is powered by a combination of two sensors working
in tandem. An acceleration sensor registers how fast a user is walking,
and a magnetic field sensor is used to track movement through the
Earth’s natural magnetic field. Together, these sensors provide accurate
location data which can then be used by smartphone applications to
provide detailed indoor directions.
Despite the incredibly accurate sensor, the system cannot function if
the phone has no knowledge of the building. Fraunhofer Research
believes that eventually, users will be able to download maps within
applications, or scan QR codes containing map downloads, and then use
Smartsense to navigate along with these maps. We've already seen the
beginnings of this, as Google Maps for Android now features indoor maps
for select malls and trade shows, but as of now, there is no way to
provide real-time navigation for these indoor maps, as the application
relies on GPS. This is where the Smartsense module could make a real
splash when combined with popular software like Google Maps.
Smartsense is being developed by Fraunhofer researchers, together
with the Bosch Corporation and other partners. Whether or not it makes
its way into your next smartphone really depends on the major phone
manufacturers and whether they believe it is a feature that people will
want. Its developers will be doing their best to convince anyone who
will listen of the advantages of the system at the Sensor+Test 2012
trade show taking place in Nuremberg next week.
Source: Fraunhofer Research
