Wayfinding 2.0

Wayfinding 2.0 is a sensor-based navigation experiment on the campus. The application uses active nodes on the campus consisting of displays + RFID readers attached. Users navigate the campus equipped with a passive RFID tag. Each node provides a visual queue & info on how to get to the next node.Dynamic trails (indoor-outdoor) can be created with minimal configuration effort. Use cases: future events on the campus

Why sensor-based navigation?

GPS navigation systems have in a few years time rapidly found their way into consumer’s cars. Also, GPS functionality integrated into mobile phones and dedicated walking navigation systems are used more and more. In an indoor setting or in situations where a higher precision is required GPS based-navigation is not adequate. Hence navigation based on RFID tag-detection.

Approach

The Wayfinding 2.0 application uses a sensor network (RFID-NFC communication) to provide a highly personal and dynamic campus navigation system. Users are guided from a point A to point B via a grid of nodes that contain dynamic visual queues (computer screens). Even if a user chooses an alternative route, the system will adapt and guide the user to the right destination.

We will test the sensor-based navigation approach in 2 ways:
1. The active sensors are embedded in the trajectory. In this scenario the user is provided with a passive tag. Whenever a user approaches an active node, the user is recognized and will be shown the right contextual-information to reach the end-point.
2. The user is equipped with an active sensor. Each user has a smartphone (with RFID/NFC reader). Throughout the trajectory nodes are equipped with a passive tag. When a user holds her phone near to a passive tag, the necessary information to get to the next node is displayed on the user’s smartphone’s screen.

After iterative testing and feedback from the users a definite solution can be chosen, or (if appropriate) both trajectories can be further explored.

Partnership

The application uses the ALU Touchatag RFID solution for the demonstrator. A more intensive partnership relationship between Touchatag and the VUB Campus is currently being considered.