Indoor Navigation and Staff Tracking at a Trade Fair

February 6, 2018 By Katja Streich events |Bluetooth Low Energy| 0

At a trade fair, an indoor navigation and tracking solution based on real-time information offers added value for visitors, fair organizers and exhibitors.

At a glance

client-based solution (trade fair app):

2D/3D building maps
indoor navigation within the exhibition grounds
exhibitor list & event calendar

server-based solution:

localization of booth personnel

Problem Definition

Large, confusing halls, several hundred exhibitors, plus event and gastronomy areas – at a trade fair, despite of hall plans, it is often not easy to find your way around. Hence, getting to an event such as a product presentation in time often presents a challenge.

Exhibitors are confronted with a different problem: At large exhibition stands, they easily lose sight of their stand personnel and have problems locating certain employees under time pressure.

Solution

A trade fair app provides visitors with information on exhibitors, important services, means of transport and the supporting program. The app contains a detailed map showing all exhibitors and other points of interest such as information stands, catering areas, etc. Exhibitors present themselves in detail with pictures, company profile and contact details. Visitors are guided to the desired booth or event via indoor navigation. The "share location" function allows you to quickly and easily meet friends or colleagues on the exhibition grounds. Visitors can also use the app to keep up to date with all the latest news and events in the program. It is also possible to integrate an intermodal travel planner – routing from your own front door to the exhibition stand based on a combination of different transport modes.

In the second application, exhibitors can view the location of their employees in an overview map at all times.

Technical Implementation

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are installed throughout the exhibition grounds. The smartphones of the trade fair visitors receive Bluetooth signals from the beacons and use a signal strength measurement for positioning, which serves as a basis for indoor guidance. The user is guided from the current location to the desired destination via turn-by-turn navigation. Optionally, the smartphones can also transfer the data to the infsoft LocAware platform^®, where it is intelligently processed. With infsoft's Analytics engine, for example, real-time and historical data can be displayed in the form of diagrams and heat maps.

Modular hardware components, infsoft Locator Nodes, are installed at large booths where stand personnel are to be tracked. The Locator Nodes receive Bluetooth signals from the beacons, which the booth staff carry with them in the form of an ID card or a wristband. The data is transferred to the infsoft LocAware platform^®, where it is processed in real time and the employees’ positions are displayed on a map. The location of the requested employee can then be viewed in a smartphone or browser application.