An iBeacon primer for indoor localization

Abstract

Providing an accurate, low cost estimate of sub-room indoor positioning remains an active area of research with applications including reactive indoor spaces, dynamic temperature control, wireless health, and augmented reality, to name a few. Recently proposed indoor localization solutions have required anywhere from zero additional infrastructure to customized RF hardware and have provided room-level to centimeter-level accuracy, typically in that respective order. One emerging technology that is proving a pragmatic solution for scalable, accurate localization is that of Bluetooth Low Energy beaconing, spearheaded by Apple's recently introduced iBeacon protocol. In this demo, we present a suite of localization tools developed around the iBeacon protocol, providing an in-depth look at Bluetooth Low Energy's viability as an indoor positioning technology. Our system shows an average position estimation error of 0.53 meters.