Integrating bluetooth and LoRa networking with RGB-D cameras for indoor location and mapping

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The rapid development of smart phones, internet-of-things and 3D mapping technologies is creating new markets in location-aware services. Although many phones can receive Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, GNSS is not effective indoors or in urban canyons. This is most often solved though observing signal strengths of wireless local area network (WLAN) signals providing horizontal accuracy on the order of 20 m, however new lower-power wireless communications standards (Bluetooth low energy, BLE and a low-power wide area network protocol called LoRa) are emerging that could replace WLAN positioning with higher accuracies and lower infrastructure costs. In parallel, low cost RGB-D (red, green, blue, depth) range cameras are appearing in mobile devices and will soon become a source information for constructing indoor 3D models. This proposal describes the investigation of two aspects of a novel indoor positioning and mapping system that integrates an RGB-D range camera and a unique network architecture of low cost Bluetooth and LoRa nodes interacting with a network of mobile beacons that may include an RGB-D equipped smartphone being used for indoor location and mapping. The project aims to improve the accuracy of the RGB-D point registration cloud in large indoor areas. The current RGB-D technology relies solely on navigation data that does not provide sufficient accuracy to provide reliable point clouds. Specifically, the proposal deals with novel algorithms to extract point clouds obtained with the range camera, the assessment of the systematic errors present in these point clouds, and positioning the camera using a novel network of BLE/LoRa signals. The partner organization, Approprolis Inc., requires the wireless location and indoor 3D modelling solutions that will be developed in order to commercial their products and services. In addition to the development of robust**indoor navigation and mapping solutions, the collaboration will also train 7 new HQP to work in this growing area and help establish Calgary as a global centre of excellence in indoor positioning and mapping to add to the current cluster of geomatics industries in the city.