A new spatial database framework for pedestrian indoor navigation based on the OpenStreetMap tag information

Abstract

AbstractIt is widely acknowledged that the tools for pedestrian navigation in indoor environments have been increasing while the internal spaces of buildings continue to grow in complexity. The majority of mobile applications for indoor navigation are mostly dependent on access to radio‐frequency identification (RFID) and WiFi, which are particularly limited and expensive in most of Sub‐Saharan Africa. In addition, data from Volunteered Geographic Information such as OpenStreetMap (OSM) lacked clear framework and specification for database design for indoor navigation. Accordingly, this study proposed and illustrated a new database framework for indoor navigation by taking advantage of the popular OSM tag information structure. The proposed framework characterized the indoor environment based on horizontal and vertical partitions, together with description of indoor features by using cardinal directions and qualitative descriptions. The framework was demonstrated by creating sample database records, and retrieval of step‐by‐step travel information for different internal configurations of the indoor environment. A key contribution of this framework is its simplistic and low‐cost nature, where user travel information is retrieved from the database with no need for communication signals from Global Positioning Systems, RFID, or WiFi, making it advantageous for low‐cost applications where access to these communication infrastructure are limited.