From GPS to AR: Leveraging Augmented Reality and Grid-Based Systems for Improved Indoor Navigation

Abstract

With the rapid growth of technology in intelligent city networks, navigating inside complex buildings has become increasingly difficult. The indoor Global Positioning System (GPS), which operates within an ultra-high radio frequency range, suffers from signal degradation due to thick walls. The lack of GPS signals and the inability to maintain a line of sight with orbiting satellites make indoor navigation more challenging than outdoor environments. Although Radio Frequency (RF) signals, Assisted GPS, and sensor-based solutions are used to track users indoors, they each have limitations. This paper introduces the Enhanced Smart Indoor Navigation System Using Augmented Reality (ESINS-AR), which offers a solution to these challenges using available and accessible resources. ESINS-AR facilitates easy location of places like shops within shopping malls, specific hotel rooms, or university lecture rooms by providing users with reasonably accurate visual assistance through their smartphones. Inspired by Augmented Reality (AR) and 2-D visual markers, the system uses several markers throughout the building. When scanned using the application, these markers display arrows on the screen, guiding users to their destination. The application allows users to select and change their desired destination as needed.