I-Corps: A hybrid indoor navigation application for smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of digital infrastructure to transform a large transportation hub into a smart and accessible hub with minimal infrastructure change. The proposed technology is an assistive sensor solution that is designed for independent and safe travel for people who are blind or visually impaired, or those who simply face challenges in navigating through an unfamiliar indoor environment.

In the U.S. alone, 6.6 million people have visual impairments, and 1 in 45 people have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Currently, there are several indoor navigation applications on the market but they have limitations such as inaccuracy of localization, high cost, and poor accessibility. The proposed technology also may be extended to indoor navigation of other public facilities, such as school buildings, libraries, office buildings, and airports.

This I-Corps project is based on the development of an Internet of Things (IoT) application to provide indoor navigation with accurate location tracking, personalized planned routes, and turn-by-turn voice instruction for visually impaired persons and other users. The proposed technology is based on integrated sensors and software, including existing surveillance camera systems, installed Bluetooth beacons, and a building information model of transportation or other public facilities, with a hybrid solution of a mobile phone localization app (using beacons, on-board sensors, and cameras along with 3D sensors).

This technology will be incorporated with personalized user interfaces to provide a seamless service to the end users, while also providing valuable user information and facility use information to transportation infrastructure stakeholders. The proposed solution is a system-engineering approach to a challenging problem in urban transportation that integrates three major components: multilayer live facility modeling tools, hybrid mobile navigation algorithms, and multimodal human-centric interface designs.

The technology is designed to integrate smart infrastructure (civil engineering) with accessible services (sensing and computing).

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.