{"id":4054,"date":"2013-10-08T12:59:45","date_gmt":"2013-10-08T08:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/?p=4054"},"modified":"2013-10-08T13:07:40","modified_gmt":"2013-10-08T09:07:40","slug":"indooratlas-uses-geomagnetism-to-map-buildings-gps-cant-reach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/?p=4054","title":{"rendered":"IndoorAtlas uses geomagnetism to map buildings GPS can\u2019t reach"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Earth's<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n
\n
Instead of using Wi-Fi signals to triangulate a device\u2019s location, IndoorAtlas tracks variations in the Earth\u2019s magnetic field to pinpoint location within a building.<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
\n
\n

IndoorAtlas has entered the increasingly\u00a0crowded indoor mapping and navigation space<\/a>, definitely has a trick up its sleeve that sets it apart from other location-based technology companies. Instead of using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals to triangulate a device\u2019s location within a building, it\u2019s using the Earth\u2019s geomagnetic field.<\/p>\n

Our smartphones share one thing in common with many animals: they have internal compasses that can orient themselves to the Earth\u2019s magnetic field. And just as animals can detect local variations in that magnetic field to find their way around, our phones\u2019 digital compasses can do the same. Structures and even furniture within buildings such as metal shelves naturally produce those geomagnetic anomalies, and by logging those anomalies on a map, they can be used to pinpoint a device \u2014 and its owner\u2019s \u2014 exact location indoors.<\/p>\n

\"IndoorAtlas<\/a><\/p>\n

Indoor navigation remains one of the last frontiers of digital cartography because buildings block the GPS signals we depend on to determine location. A raft of companies have sprung to try and\u00a0fill that radio silence with Wi-Fi signals<\/a>, the idea being that most public buildings are rife with Wi-Fi networks. By measuring the signal strength and direction of known access points, a phone can plot its location within a few meters. Many of the big internet and networking companies have developed or bought scooped indoor Wi-Fi location technologies to start mapping buildings, and Apple is using similar techniques with iBeacon, which\u00a0uses Bluetooth Low Energy as proximity-based location tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Instead of relying on external networks, though, Indoor Atlas has created a mapping platform that lets would-be cartographers and developers use their smartphone compasses to record the geomagnetic characteristics of any given locale. That data is then plotted onto a pre-generated digital map, which can then be used to create indoor location-based apps. They could take the form of, say, a mall way-finding app, or it could become an extension of a turn-by-turn navigation provider\u2019s directions service \u2013 telling users where they need to go\u00a0after they\u2019ve parked their cars<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n

IndoorAtlas didn\u2019t reveal exactly how precise its technology is, but it claimed it could place a user within a specific aisle and section of a grocery store. So it may not be able to tell if you\u2019re standing right in front of the Weetabix, but it can definitely send you a notification \u2013 or a coupon \u2013 when you get close. The company said the technology is\u00a0now available to developers on its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

http:\/\/gigaom.com\/2013\/09\/25\/indooratlas-uses-geomagnetism-to-map-buildings-gps-cant-reach\/<\/a><\/p>\n

originally Posted by\u00a0Kevin Fitchard<\/a>,\u00a0SEP. 25, 2013 – 10:45 AM PDT<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Instead of using Wi-Fi signals to triangulate a device\u2019s location, IndoorAtlas tracks variations in the Earth\u2019s magnetic field to pinpoint location within a building. IndoorAtlas has entered the increasingly\u00a0crowded indoor mapping and navigation space, definitely has a trick up its sleeve that sets it apart from other location-based technology companies. Instead of using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals to triangulate a device\u2019s location within a building, it\u2019s using the Earth\u2019s geomagnetic field. Our smartphones share one thing in common with many animals: they have internal compasses that can orient themselves to the Earth\u2019s magnetic field. And just as animals can detect local variations in that magnetic field to find their way around, our phones\u2019 digital compasses can do the same. Structures and even furniture within buildings such as metal shelves naturally produce those geomagnetic anomalies, and by logging those anomalies on a map, they can be used to pinpoint a device \u2014 and its owner\u2019s \u2014 exact location indoors. Indoor navigation remains one of the last frontiers of digital cartography because buildings block the GPS signals we depend on to determine location. A raft of companies have sprung to try and\u00a0fill that radio silence with Wi-Fi signals, the idea being that most public buildings are rife with Wi-Fi networks. By measuring the signal strength and direction of known access points, a phone can plot its location within a few meters. Many of the big internet and networking companies have developed or bought scooped indoor Wi-Fi location technologies to start mapping buildings, and Apple is using similar techniques with iBeacon, which\u00a0uses Bluetooth Low Energy as proximity-based location tool. Instead of relying on external networks, though, Indoor Atlas has created a mapping platform that lets would-be cartographers and developers use their smartphone compasses to record the geomagnetic characteristics of any given locale. That data is then plotted onto a pre-generated digital map, which can then be used to create indoor location-based apps. They could take the form of, say, a mall way-finding app, or it could become an extension of a turn-by-turn navigation provider\u2019s directions service \u2013 telling users where they need to go\u00a0after they\u2019ve parked their cars. IndoorAtlas didn\u2019t reveal exactly how precise its technology is, but it claimed it could place a user within a specific aisle and section of a grocery store. So it may not be able to tell if you\u2019re standing right in front of the Weetabix, but it can definitely send you a notification \u2013 or a coupon \u2013 when you get close. The company said the technology is\u00a0now available to developers on its website.   http:\/\/gigaom.com\/2013\/09\/25\/indooratlas-uses-geomagnetism-to-map-buildings-gps-cant-reach\/ originally Posted by\u00a0Kevin Fitchard,\u00a0SEP. 25, 2013 – 10:45 AM PDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[59,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4054"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4054"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4060,"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4054\/revisions\/4060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.roots-solutions.com\/telematrixme\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}