Development of a Web-Based Indoor Navigation System Using an Accelerometer and Gyroscope: A Case Study at The Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University

As a complex of buildings, the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Comenius University in Bratislava tends to be difficult to navigate in spite of its size. An indoor navigation application could potentially save a lot of time and frustration. There are currently numerous technologies used in indoor navigation systems. Some of them focus on a high degree of precision and require significant financial investment; others provide only static information about a current location. In this paper we focused on the determination of an approximate location using inertial measurement systems available on most smartphones, i.e., a gyroscope and an accelerometer. The actual position of the device was calculated using “a walk detection method” based on a delayed lack of motion. We have developed an indoor navigation application that relies solely on open source JavaScript libraries to visualize the interior of the building and calculate the shortest path utilizing Dijsktra’s routing algorithm. The application logic is located on the client side, so the software is able to work offline. Our solution represents an accessible lowcost and platform-independent web application that can significantly improve navigation at the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Although our application has been developed on a specific building complex, it could be used in other interiors as well.