Localization Technologies for Indoor Human Tracking

TLDR

Wireless localization technologies are rapidly expanding, offering real‑time tracking, activity recognition, healthcare, navigation, emergency detection, and target monitoring indoors, where GPS is ineffective and most people spend their time. This paper seeks to deepen understanding of state‑of‑the‑art indoor localization methods and inspire further research. The authors review existing indoor tracking technologies and discuss their applicability for individual tracking.

Abstract

The proliferation of wireless localization technologies provides a promising future for serving human beings in indoor scenarios. Their applications include real-time tracking, activity recognition, health care, navigation, emergence detection, and target-of-interest monitoring, among others. Additionally, indoor localization technologies address the inefficiency of GPS (Global Positioning System) inside buildings. Since people spend most of their time in indoor environments, indoor tracking service is in great public demand. Based on this observation, this paper aims to provide a better understanding of state-of-the-art technologies and stimulate new research efforts in this field. For these purposes, existing localization technologies that can be used for tracking individuals in indoor environments are reviewed, along with some further discussions.