Navigation systems help users access unfamiliar environments. Current technological advancements enable users to encapsulate these systems in handheld devices, which effectively increases the popularity of navigation systems and the number of users. In indoor environments, lack of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals and line of sight with orbiting satellites makes navigation more challenging compared to outdoor environments. Radio frequency (RF) signals, computer vision, and sensor-based solutions are more suitable for tracking the users in indoor environments. This article provides a comprehensive summary of evolution in indoor navigation and indoor positioning technologies. In particular, the paper reviews different computer vision-based indoor navigation and positioning systems along with indoor scene recognition methods that can aid the indoor navigation. Navigation and positioning systems that utilize pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) methods and various communication technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) visible light, Bluetooth and ultra-wide band (UWB), are detailed as well. Moreover, this article investigates and contrasts the different navigation systems in each category. Various evaluation criteria for indoor navigation systems are proposed in this work. The article concludes with a brief insight into future directions in indoor positioning and navigation systems.

This work introduces an edutainment system specifically designed to help children with intellectual disability (ID) in order to allow them to have an enhanced and enjoyable learning process and addresses the need for integrating physical activity into their daily lives. The proposed system consists of a multimedia technology based games with a tangible user interface. The edutainment system was tested on 77 children with different intellectual disabilities (IDs). The mildly disabled groups achieved best results in terms of scores and coordination, but all the observed groups exhibited high motivation levels. The results proved that the system had very positive effects on the children, in terms of cognition and motivational levels, especially as the children became more physically active in the classrooms. Instructors also expressed willingness to incorporate the edutainment system into the classroom on a daily basis, as a complementary tool to conventional learning.

BackgroundConsiderable number of indoor navigation systems has been proposed to augment people with visual impairments (VI) about their surroundings. These systems leverage several technologies, such as computer-vision, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), and other techniques to estimate the position of a user in indoor areas. Computer-vision based systems use several techniques including matching pictures, classifying captured images, recognizing visual objects or visual markers. BLE based system utilizes BLE beacons attached in the indoor areas as the source of the radio frequency signal to localize the position of the user.MethodsIn this paper, we examine the performance and usability of two computer-vision based systems and BLE-based system. The first system is computer-vision based system, called CamNav that uses a trained deep learning model to recognize locations, and the second system, called QRNav, that utilizes visual markers (QR codes) to determine locations. A field test with 10 blindfolded users has been conducted while using the three navigation systems.ResultsThe obtained results from navigation experiment and feedback from blindfolded users show that QRNav and CamNav system is more efficient than BLE based system in terms of accuracy and usability. The error occurred in BLE based application is more than 30% compared to computer vision based systems including CamNav and QRNav.ConclusionsThe developed navigation systems are able to provide reliable assistance for the participants during real time experiments. Some of the participants took minimal external assistance while moving through the junctions in the corridor areas. Computer vision technology demonstrated its superiority over BLE technology in assistive systems for people with visual impairments.

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