A Study on Indoor Navigation by Augmented Reality and Down-looking Omni-vision Techniques Using Mobile Devices

An indoor navigation system based on augmented reality (AR) and computer vision techniques by the use of a mobile device like an HTC Flyer or an iPad is proposed. An indoor vision infra-structure is set up by attaching fisheye cameras on the ceiling of an indoor navigation environment. For human localization, a vision-based localization technique is proposed, which analyzes images captured from the fisheye cameras, and detects human activities in the environment. Furthermore, three techniques are integrated together to conduct human orientation detection effectively. A path planning technique for use to generate a path from a spot to a selected destination via the use of an environment map is also proposed. Finally, the navigation information is overlaid onto the image shown on the mobile device to provide an AR navigation interface. Good experimental results are also presented to show the feasibility of the proposed system.