Evaluating the usage of Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons and Smartphones for Indoor Positioning Systems

Abstract

Due to the extensive adaptation of smartphones outdoor positioning by GPS has become an everyday commodity for many people. When it comes to indoor positioning things are different. Topology constraints in indoor environments are much more complex than those in outdoor environments. Many technologies and techniques have been used to solve this problem and as new technologies arrive these need to be evaluated. This papers aims to evaluate the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol, the way it works in indoor environments and explore the possibilities of improving the quality of the received signals so they can be used with smartphones. We conducted tests in a number of different indoor environments in order to identify the key attributes that affect the signals and suggest ways to improve them. To conduct these tests we first built a smartphone application to allow us to make measurements of BLE signals as well as implementing ways to improve them. Data was collected from these tests and used to guide the direction of further improvements. After evaluating the new Bluetooth sensors, it is still unclear if accurate indoor positioning can be achieved but further insights are shared and guidance for future implementation and research is given.