Usefulness of Indoor Navigation App
Smartphones have made our lives extremely easy. Smartphones, with the help of the internet and GPS tracking, has also made traveling easy for us, even if we are in a completely new city or country. Thanks to GPS navigation on mobile apps, it has become easier for users to find a way to their destination. But it is still possible to get lost indoors. This happens because GPS signals are not accurately tracked in the navigation apps.
Has it ever happened to you that you are in a crowded mall and you are looking for a restaurant you are supposed to meet your friends at? But you can’t quite trace it with the GPS system. It would be much better if we had an indoor navigation app whose GPS acted the same way it does for outdoor navigation. Having an Indoor Positioning System is important.
Indoor Positioning System is helpful when you have to locate a certain thing in a building premise using a mobile device. This system is much more latest and advanced than the GPS system. Services featuring Indoor Positioning System are gaining a lot of popularity among locations like shopping malls, airports and other locations where location-based services don’t quite work.
Can These Apps be Useful for Businesses?
If this technology can be useful for regular people, it will prove to be even more beneficial for businesses. Businesses can use this system to map out locations like airports, hospitals, shopping malls etc. This system will help the business and the visitors and also it is easy to adjust.
The Information Contained in the Indoor Positioning System
The Indoor Positioning System shows the user their current position on a map. It then provides the shortest route to their desired destination. Users can also receive messages from system administrators. Augmented Reality is made use of in creating the map for these apps, which prove to be very comprehensive. These apps show the positioning. Then it navigates you with the shortest route. It also offers Push Notifications.
Why Do Users and Business Owners Like this App?
Users like these apps as they get an online map which helps them with the destination and the route by giving voice directions. Business owners get to collect a user’s data like the number of visits and the amount of time spent there. They can also send notifications to users. Businesses can link the app to their products and send a notification to the user regarding the product, after which the user will be prompted to buy the product.
How Do These Apps Work?
The internal sensors on the phone calculate and determine the position of the device indoor. A complex mathematical algorithm is used for this function. The incoming data is used to determine the user’s position. This offers good users experience. There are elements like Dynamic Positioning System and signals that broadcast beacons that the Indoor Positioning System relies on. The indoor positioning system would require things like an indoor map of the facility, a dedicated app, fingerprint and broadcast beacons, and backend servers.
Hardware Needed to Support the Indoor Positioning System
Like every other system, even this system requires hardware. It makes use of WiFi access points which act as signal transmitters, the broadcast beacons whose signals work with both iOS and Android devices. But for that, the user should be in the range of minimum three beacons. There is also geofencing involved. The built-in compass of the phone is made use of here as a geomagnetic map.
Basic Features of an Indoor Navigation App
- Positioning
- Mapping
- Routing and Navigation
- Analytics
- Administration
Other Uses of Indoor Navigation App
- Advertising
- Location Sharing
- In-App Search
- Inventory and Asset Tracking
- Location-based Coupons
Businesses That Can Take Benefits of Indoor Navigation App
- Railways
- Shopping Malls
- Museums
- Hospitals
- Airports
Conclusion
Indoor Navigation Apps are useful for both users and businesses in several ways. But you should also know the cost of developing one. If you develop an app with the basic features, it would cost you anywhere between $15,000 and $40,000. With additional features, these figures might go up to $20,000 to $50,000.
Need assistance for building an indoor navigation app? Contact an app development company and they will be able to help you.
