Microsoft app solves indoor navigation using magnetic sensor data The tech giant researchers have developed an indoor navigation app, called Path Guide, which does not rely on Wi-Fi or GPS signal. Google Maps and similar apps do not work inside buildings as satellite signals can access the user's exact location. This can be troublesome in expansive buildings such as hospitals, malls, parking garages, or offices, where a map is often needed. Path Guide uses magnetic sensor data gathered from different locations and the sensors within smartphones to lets app users ‘follow' the traces created by someone before. This means the building do not require any special sensors or Wi-Fi signal. "Experiments have determined that the indoor geomagnetic field is disturbed by building structures, and that it is relatively stable inside buildings. This gave us the idea of creating an indoor navigation system based on the magnetic sensor data gathered from different locations, while leveraging the other phone sensors to support real time navigation instructions," say Shu and Karlsson. Users can also follow the paths backwards which would be useful to people who have parked in an unfamiliar parking garage. More details and a link to the Android app at http://ift.tt/2eLrDxL
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