The research and use of positioning and navigation technologies outdoors has seen a steady and exponential growth. Based on this success, there have been attempts to implement these technologies indoors, leading to numerous studies. Most of the algorithms, techniques and technologies used have been implemented outdoors. However, how they fare indoors is different altogether. Thus, several technologies have been proposed and implemented to improve positioning and navigation indoors. Among them are Infrared (IR), Ultrasound, Audible Sound, Magnetic, Optical and Vision, Radio Frequency (RF), Visible Light, Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR)/Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Hybrid. The RF technologies include Bluetooth, Ultra-wideband (UWB), Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC). In addition, positioning techniques applied in indoor positioning systems include the signal properties and positioning algorithms. The prevalent signal properties are Angle of Arrival (AOA), Time of Arrival (TOA), Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), while the positioning algorithms are Triangulation, Trilateration, Proximity and Scene Analysis/ Fingerprinting. This paper presents a state-of-the-art survey of indoor positioning and navigation systems and technologies, and their use in various scenarios. It analyses distinct positioning technology metrics such as accuracy, complexity, cost, privacy, scalability and usability. This paper has profound implications for future studies of positioning and navigation.

Purpose This research aims to focus on providing interventions to alleviate usability challenges to strengthen the overall accuracy and the navigation effectiveness in indoor and stringent environments through the experiential manipulation of technical attributes of the positioning and navigation system. Design/methodology/approach The study followed a quantitative and experimental method of empirical enquiry and software engineering and synthesis research methods. The study further entails three implementation processes, namely, map generation, positioning framework and navigation service using a prototype mobile navigation application that uses the near field communication (NFC) technology. Findings The approach and findings revealed that the capability of NFC in leveraging its low-cost infrastructure of passive tags, its availability in mobile devices and the ubiquity of the mobile device provided a cost-effective solution with impressive accuracy and usability. The positioning accuracy achieved was less than 9 cm. The usability improved from 44 to 96 per cent based on feedbacks given by respondents who tested the application in an indoor environment. These showed that NFC is a viable alternative to resolve the challenges identified in previous solutions and technologies. Research limitations/implications The major limitation of the navigation application was that there is no real-time update of user position. This can be investigated and extended further by using NFC in a hybrid make-up with WLAN, radio-frequency identification (RFID) or Bluetooth as a cost-effective solution for real-time indoor positioning because of their coverage and existing infrastructures. The hybrid positioning model, which merges two or more techniques or technologies, is becoming more popular and will improve its accuracy, robustness and usability. In addition, it will balance complexity, compensate for the limitations in the technologies and achieve real-time mobile indoor navigation. Although the presence of WLAN, RFID and Bluetooth technologies are likely to result in system complexity and high cost, NFC will reduce the system’s complexity and balance the trade-off. Practical implications Whilst limitations in existing indoor navigation technologies meant putting up with poor signal and poor communication capabilities, outcomes of the NFC framework will offer valuable insight. It presents new possibilities on how to overcome signal quality limitations at improved turn-around time in constrained indoor spaces. Social implications The innovations have a direct positive social impact in that it will offer new solutions to mobile communications in the previously impossible terrains such as underground platforms and densely covered spaces. With the ability to operate mobile applications without signal inhibitions, the quality of communication – and ultimately, life opportunities – are enhanced. Originality/value While navigating, users face several challenges, such as infrastructure complexity, high-cost solution, inaccuracy and usability. Hence, as a contribution, this paper presents a symbolic map and path architecture of a floor of the test-bed building that was uploaded to OpenStreetMap. Furthermore, the implementation of the RFID and the NFC architectures produced new insight on how to redress the limitations in challenged spaces. In addition, a prototype mobile indoor navigation application was developed and implemented, offering novel solution to the practical problems inhibiting navigation in indoor challenged spaces – a practical contribution to the community of practice.

From inception, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a persistent public health concern at a global level. Several businesses and corporations around the world have been severely and negatively impacted by the outbreak, while nascent economies have suffered a grave setback. The effect on businesses and economies seems to influence the productivity level of workers. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on professions and professionals in developing countries,where post-COVID-19 economic distress has been felt. It utilizes data collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Snowball sampling technique was used to gather data from 466 respondents in Nigeria using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The dataset, comprising nineteen variables, was analysed with a logistic model over a wide variety of socio-demographic, productivity and economic variables. Prevalent variables with high significance on work productivity include fear, anxiety, depression, work boredom, remuneration, palliative and infrastructure availability. Findings showed that 5 out of 19 variables – work boredom (p-value < 0.0001), remuneration (p-value < 0.0001), depression (p-value = 0.0061), internet (p-value = 0.0148), fear (p-value = 0.0342) – have significant effects on work productivity. Also, with odds ratios value, the effect of these variables on productivity ranges between 68.8% and 85.9%, based on participants' responses. However, 12 out of 19 variables were insignificant to the productivity level during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The analysed result implies that the distribution of an individual’s perception of a high productivity rate with a low productivity rate is close.

The navigation ecosystem is rapidly changing. Indoor navigation has attracted attention with the introduction of mobile devices into the market. Although mobile devices are used more often for outdoor navigation, they have opened up opportunities for indoor navigation proponents. Near Field Communication in indoor navigation is still in its exploratory stage. Despite an increase in the variety of indoor navigation research, challenges remain in designing a framework that is neither complex nor expensive. NFC is a novel method of navigating in indoor environments. Providing an overview of its benefits and usefulness compared with existing indoor navigation technologies is the subject of this chapter.

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Information and communication technologies (ICT) have been at the centre of most innovations. With applications in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, it has become prevalent in business, art, and humanities disciplines, among others, as well. Among the potential applications of ICT in social sciences and digital humanities, documentation and reconstruction of archaeological artefacts have garnered interest and resulted in several studies. This is because of the potential inherent in these artefacts for archaeological and historical studies. However, regarding pottery reassembly, challenges are experienced in implementing an optimal solution entailing high standards. Although existing studies attempted to solve these challenges, a high standard solution is still elusive. This article presents an approach to a machine-driven solution that intends to use computer vision and machine learning, whose potential is yet to be felt in pottery reassembly. This investigation, still at an early stage, has profound implications for future studies in pottery studies in general.

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Purpose: Computer networks and the Internet are changing the way we communicate, learn, work, and even play. Conventional computer networks are not smart enough towards processes that contribute to improving online control transaction of services and demand for unlimited communication services. Hence, computer networking has to go smart.Methods: This paper explores the effect of different computer networking types - traditional computer networking (D0) and Software-Defined Networking (D1). The paper combined traditional computer networking (D0) with Software-Defined Network (D2) running applications (A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5) with the host sending 5 packets (P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5) across the networks emulated using Mininet network emulation to observe various performance parameters on the network.Result: It was observed that Application A1 recorded the highest bandwidth, throughput and latency. The least bandwidth, throughput and latency were observed in A4. The result showed that below 80% of the IPv4 packet size (65,507 bytes) of running application, the higher the bandwidth the higher the throughput. Also, the lower the latency the more statistically similar the jitter experienced. Packet P1 has the highest bandwidth and throughput usage with high latency. The results indicate that the higher the bandwidth and throughput, the higher the latency observed in the packet sent across the network. Traditional computer networking (D1) recorded the highest bandwidth and throughput with the highest jitter. The correlation result showed that the jitter decreases with increasing bandwidth and throughput.Novelty: This study provides information on traditional computer networking and Software-Defined Networking. The result validates studies that observed significant F-value and stability in the SDN application-awareness experiment.