An approach for indoor wayfinding replicating main principles of an outdoor navigation system for cyclists

This work presents an approach to enhance navigation in indoor environments based on a landmark concept. It has already been proved by empirical research that by using landmarks the wayfinding task can be significantly simplified. Navigation based on landmarks relies on the presence of landmarks at each point along a route where wayfinders might need assistance. The approach presented here is based on the Dutch system for navigation of cyclists. The landmarks that are used in the proposed approach are special signposts containing the necessary directional information in order to guide the wayfinder in the space. The system is quite simple, efficient and satisfactory in providing navigational assistance in indoor space. An important contribution of this research is the generation of an approach to automatically determine the decision points in indoor environments, which makes it possible to apply it to navigational assistance systems in any building. The proposed system is verified by placing numbered landmark-signs in a specific building. Several tests are performed and the results are analysed. The findings of the experiment are very promising, showing that participants reach the destinations without detours.