Geospatial database for seamless pedestrian navigation in Germany: Status and acquisition technologies

Abstract

Positioning, orientation and targeted movement in a 3D environment are fundamental human needs that facilitate a perception of the world around us. Navigation and route guidance of pedestrians require geospatial data specifically dedicated to pedestrian navigation. In a feasibility study, extant geospatial databases were investigated to study their suitability for seamless, cost-effective routing, and navigation of pedestrians in public space. This research was guided by the assumption that such dedicated databases with seamless national coverage were lacking in Germany. To validate this hypothesis, the status quo has been assessed. In addition methods and techniques have been investigated facilitating cost-effective generation and maintenance of a uniform, seamless database for pedestrian navigation. The availability of spatial objects relevant to pedestrian navigation and data acquisition concepts has been determined in two study regions; these regions are representative of urban and rural areas. This paper, therefore, deals with the geospatial data requirements for pedestrian navigation, the evaluation of existing databases, and discussions of cost-effective acquisition strategies for missing pedestrian navigation data.