Google's Maps V6 Indoor Navigation

Question

Does anybody know how Google's Indoor Navigation works? Is it WiFi based? And if so, are they relying on their existing Wifi DB mapped by the Street View vehicle? Thanks Wanger

Answer 1

The Google IO 2013 brought the answer:

• WiFi (the main sensor)
• GPS (problematic, includes reflections)
• barometer (will determine the floor in the future)
• accelerometer
• gyroscope

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLOUXNEcAJk

"We actually combine a lot of different sensors to give you that one estimate; we use the WiFi, we use GPS. We use the sensors (that's the accelerometer, gyroscope on your phone, the barometer as well)... the one that dominates ... is the WiFi".

Many thanks to Waleed & Sarah for the presentation.

Answer 2

There are contradicting infos in media:

One german article says: It is GPS based, and works like the normal navigation.
That further means that it will not work in most buildings, and that feature is practically degraded into viewing a digital map of the building, where you have to know yourself where you are.

Another says Apple, too invest in indoor positioning and bought the company WiFiSlam, which uses Wifi for indoor Positioning.

Another (finish) company uses magnet fields of a building, which has to be measured before and applied to a building map.

I think that google will use both GPS and Wifi if data are available. But this is the main problem.

However in some building it still makes today sense, maybe on huge airports

Answer 3

We have noticed that google is using different signals to position but all of them rely on GPS. If users have turned on their GPS and WiFi then google maps these WiFi signals and mobile tower to this GPS position. So if the user opens for example Google Maps then it can position You without You turning on GPS. This is fine for small and open buildings but not for multiple floor and concrete buildings.

Google also has a app for developers to manually map indoor WiFi hotspots but this isn't usable in all countries. Maybe it will change in time.