IndoorNavigation
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Google Maps for Android takes navigation indoors for France, helps find your way through Carrefour
Interior navigation with Google Maps for Android has usually been the province of only a handful of regions at best. But what about Provence? While the deal isn't all-encompassing, Google is now serving indoor maps for popular locations throughout France. Coverage starts with the major airports in Paris and Lyon, extending to include major nationwide stores like Carrefour and FNAC, shopping centers like the Carrousel du Louvre and museums like La Géode. All told, over 50 venues have signed onboard and should be enough for those moments when you're rushing to catch a connecting flight at Orly... or just want to find the salad dressings in aisle three.
Fujitsu, NICT create indoor navigation for the blind using ultrawideband, Android phones, kind hearts
There's no shortage of navigation outdoors, and even a little bit of help indoors, but there's been precious little aid for the blind indoors -- leaving them little choice but to move cautiously or get outside help. Fujitsu and Japan's NICT have crafted a system that gives the sightless a greater level of autonomy inside through ultrawideband-based impulse radio. A grid of UWB radios positioned around a room gauge the distances between each other and transmit the data to a PC, which then talks to the traveler's Android phone. The device then gives spoken directions based on a 12-o'clock system and far subtler distances than GPS can manage: the positioning is accurate to within a foot. While the indoors navigation is only just getting a demo this week, it's already being refined to detect objects in the room as well as to help even the fully sighted. If Fujitsu and NICT have their way, buildings ranging from hospitals to malls will have their own turn-by-turn navigation. For some, the freedom of movement could be a life-changer.
Google Maps indoor navigation: yeah, it works at CES
Google Maps 6.0 brought a promise of indoor navigation back in November of last year, but outside of a few dozen airports, transit hubs and retail outlets, we had no idea where it was or wasn't implemented. Turns out, Google (smartly) mapped out lots of Las Vegas before the annual Consumer Electronics Show, as many of our contemporaries have pointed out over at The Sands and Venetian. We also confirmed that indoor mapping worked here at CES Unveiled, and given the dearth of wireless connectivity inside most of Vegas' frequented locales, it's certainly a blessing that we'll be taking advantage of.
CSR sharpens indoor and in-car navigation with SiRFstarV, SiRFusion and SiRFprimaII
It's been a while since we last heard from CSR, but that changed earlier this week, when the company unveiled its new SiRFprimaII and SiRFusion platforms, alongside its SiRFstarV architecture. According to the UK-based firm, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion are designed to provide more accurate geographic data and enhanced indoor navigation capabilities across PNDs and other mobile devices. SiRFstarV, the logical follow-up to CSR's SiRFstarIV architecture, culls location data not only from GPS, but from Galileo, Glonass and Compass satellites, as well as a range of radio signals, accelerometers, gyros and compasses. All this information is fed to the user via the SiRFusion platform, which combines data from radio systems and sensors to provide constantly updated location graphics. Together, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion promise to help users find their way around both indoor and outdoor locales, within an accuracy range of ten to 15 meters. The SiRFprimaII platform, displayed above, is strictly geared toward in-car navigation and infotainment systems. This system combines a SiRFprimaII SoC and TriG RF multi-GNSS radio with CSR's Bluetooth and WiFi technologies to create a multimedia rich, touchscreen-based in-car environment. Geared toward both ODMs and OEMs, this hardware-software combo enables drivers to get more reliable navigation data, while allowing passengers to stream video, surf the web and manipulate everything via remote control. As for that SoC, it's powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 app processor, features an LCD controller for displays of up to 1280 x 720 resolution, and boasts a pair of 3D graphics and video accelerators. For more details, check out the pair of press releases, after the break.
KDDI's Swing navigation system helps you find your way around a store, avoid human interaction
GPS can help you get to your favorite bookstore, but once you're there, it probably won't find that Thomas Pynchon book you're looking for. That's where KDDI's Swing navigation system comes in. Taking its cue from Nokia's Kamppi and NAVTEQ's Destination Maps services, the prototype is designed to help smartphone users find their way around malls, restaurants or any other indoor space, using only a red arrow as their compass. Just choose the section of the store you're looking for, wave your phone in a circle and KDDI's app will use a system of pre-installed sensors to find your location, before pointing you in the right direction. Seems intuitive enough, but Swing's success will ultimately depend upon how many people and retail outlets decide to adopt it. Swing past the break for a demo video.
TeleNav bringing hybrid navigation to GPS apps, eases reliance on data connection
If there's two things the world needs, it's a complete lack of international roaming charges, and GPS signals that never fade. Oh, and for Slash to not play the last Super Bowl with the Black Eyed Peas -- we suppose that makes three. At any rate, at least we're moving somewhat closer to a reality that solves the middle issue, with TeleNav announcing this week that it'll be implementing "hybrid navigation technology" into its apps (including the new iOS version) in the very near future. Post-implementation, TeleNav software will automatically cache maps and directions for routes you look up, and if you drop your mobile connection or GPS signal en route, you'll still be able to have a look at the original plan. 'Course, any deviations from the prescribed route will lead to endless frustration, but if you (or your 63 year old father) are familiar with following a paper map, you ought to be just fine. The company asserts that the new addition will be rolling out to "select applications" that it develops for carrier partners "in the near future," and you won't be ask to pay a dime more for the added convenience. Sometimes life's just too kind, eh? Update: TeleNav pinged us to say that its version will actually download full maps to the device (so you'll need a good chunk of free space), so you really won't suffer too much from not having a live connection. Also, the iPhone build is better known as AT&T Navigator v1.8i.
Nokia's Kamppi Trial succeeds at indoor positioning, gets shelved anyway (video)
Sure, GPS can get you to the mall, but can it route you from the Bon Ton down to Penney's? Not so much. Indoor navigation is still generally a paper map reliant affair, something Nokia attempted to do away with at the Kamppi Shopping Center in Helsinki. The service, also called Kamppi, relied on wireless LAN to position people within the complex, meaning anyone with an S60 handset with WiFi could simply browse to kamppi.nokia.mobi, see their current position, locate their friends, and find their way around as shown after the break. 15,000 people tried it out successfully over the summer and so the service is receiving a fitting send-off: it's been "archived." Nokia is pledging to use the tech in future products, but we expect to be reliant on those giant, obelisk-mounted maps for many years to come.
f-tech unveils NAV 550 Professional Navigator
If you're scouting a run-of-the-mill GPS handheld, and have the itch for something a bit different than those Garmin and TomTom units already on shelves everywhere, f-tech's got your solution. The same folks who brought you the (partly) solar-powered Solar 7 GPS unit have toned things down with the NAV 550 Professional Navigator, as it resorts to just the basics when leading folks around. Powered by a 400MHz Samsung RISC microprocessor, the device provides turn-by-turn voice guidance and boasts integrated smart2go maps, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, SiRF Star III antenna, SD slot, stereo speakers, and a (presumably non-explosive) rechargeable Li-ion battery. It also sports a headphone jack and USB 2.0 connectivity, while touting the ability to "operate indoors" by receiving "tracking signals down to -159dBm." Although pricing and availability details have yet to surface, we're fairly certain this ho hum offering won't dent the travel budget too bad when it hits North America.[Via NaviGadget]
