Three-dimensional magnetic fingerprinting for indoor localization

Nowadays, it is widely known that localization systems changed our daily routine. A lot of people are using them but, currently, with localization systems, we are mainly referring to outdoor localization and navigation systems based on global positioning system (GPS). Despite outdoor localization being widely used and highly developed, there is still no standard technology for indoor localization purposes. This issue arises because the satellite based signals are largely attenuated when passing through walls and ceilings, leading to a loss of precision. An interesting alternative, for indoor applications, that does not require installing and maintaining costly equipment in the building is the geomagnetic fingerprinting. In modern buildings, the earth’s magnetic field is distorted due to the presence of ferromagnetic construction materials. The distortion can be used to define every location by its magnetic fingerprint. All the current smartphones are equipped with the magnetometer, thus, it is possible to use this sensor associated with the magnetic map of the building, to design a smartphone-based indoor localization system. In the thesis, a reliable 3-dimensional magnetic map fingerprint method has been investigated. Subsequently, an already existing 2D indoor localization system has been extended to work in 3D. Finally, the performance of the indoor localization engine using the 2D and 3D magnetic maps has been compared.