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

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发数字基础设施，将大型交通枢纽转变为智能和可访问的枢纽，只需最小的基础设施变化。该技术是一种辅助传感器解决方案，旨在为盲人或视障人士，或那些在不熟悉的室内环境中导航时面临挑战的人提供独立和安全的旅行。仅在美国，就有660万人患有视觉障碍，每45人中就有1人被诊断患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）。 目前，市场上有几种室内导航应用，但它们具有定位不准确、成本高和可访问性差等局限性。 所提出的技术还可以扩展到其他公共设施的室内导航，例如学校建筑、图书馆、办公楼和机场。该I-Corps项目基于物联网（IoT）应用的开发，为视障人士和其他用户提供室内导航，包括准确的位置跟踪，个性化的计划路线和逐向语音指导。 所提出的技术基于集成的传感器和软件，包括现有的监控摄像头系统、安装的蓝牙信标以及交通或其他公共设施的建筑信息模型，以及移动的手机定位应用程序的混合解决方案（使用信标、车载传感器和摄像头沿着3D传感器）。该技术将与个性化用户界面相结合，为最终用户提供无缝服务，同时也为交通基础设施利益相关者提供有价值的用户信息和设施使用信息。所提出的解决方案是一个具有挑战性的问题，在城市交通，集成了三个主要组成部分：多层实时设施建模工具，混合移动的导航算法，和多模式的以人为中心的界面设计的系统工程方法。该技术旨在将智能基础设施（土木工程）与可访问服务（传感和计算）相结合。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.