April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 1 Location Awareness at VT Using Place Lab Triiip Bowen Tim Buennemeyer Ingrid Burbey Vinit Joshi ECE5564 Semester Project

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 2 Agenda Problem Statement Background Topology Methodology Application Approach Challenges Encountered Successes Achieved Resulting Applications Recommendations and Future Work Project Artifacts Conclusion Questions

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 3 Problem Statement Can location determination be achieved using existing RF signals at VT and the surrounding community? If so, then employ the technology to develop and enhance location applications.

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 4 Location Awareness Background B/G wireless access points are a key component of today’s network infrastructure Immature ubiquitous systems are emerging in the public and private sectors Changes in information technology and networking industry have led to location awareness technologies that hinge on mapping signal strengths of wireless access points.

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 5 Place Lab Background Developmental, general-area location estimation tool suite using WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM, & GPS Limited documentation and NO PL user’s guide 2 methods to map access points: –“PlaceLabStumbler” can discover and map access points by measuring signal strengths –Use known access point locations Logs are uploaded to the global PL database Downloaded “Beacons” used to estimate user location

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 6 Place Lab Topology

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 7 Methodology Understand the Software Gain Foothold Presence at VT and Area –Place Lab Stumbling –Mapping Application Development Create Users Guide

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 8 Evolutionary Application Approach Indoor Location Awareness –Torgersen Outdoor Location Awareness –Downtown Guide Indoor/Outdoor Location Awareness –Assistive Technology Accessible Points Mapwad Creation Utility

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 9 Challenges Encountered Uncommented Code and NO Java Expert in Group Permission to Upload VT_WLAN Logs Quirky PL Software Errors No SW Support PL Stumbling Crashes

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 10 Successes Achieved Beacons Discovered & Uploaded PL Capability Established at VT & Local Area Numerous Maps Geo-Referenced (mapwads) Applications Implemented Utilities In-Progress

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 11 Successes Achieved

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 12 Resulting Applications Downtown Guide Assistive Technology Guide (NE Campus) Where am I? Landmark Guide Utilities –Mapwad Builder –Scene Analysis (Fingerprint)

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 13 Recommendations and Future Work Identify Accurate Mapping Source Refine Utilities “Stumble” Using GSM and Bluetooth Modes Expand Across Campus Use Known Access Point Locations Scale Application for Use on PDA Refine Application and Team w/ VT for Use and Data Collection (VT Marketing and Campus Tour Guide) Potential New Applications: –Network Security –Track Visitors –Campus Police

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 14 Project Artifacts Mapwads with “Places” –Montgomery County –Blacksburg –Downtown –NE Campus –ADA Access on Campus –Torgersen

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 15 Project Artifacts (2) User’s Guide Beacons Uploaded to PL & Wigle Net “Where Am I” Tour (Driving & Torgersen) Basic Fingerprint Code Developed & Tested Merged PL Stumbler & “Where Am I” –Middleware Layer –Graphical Front End for Location Application Mapwad Builder Utility

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 16 Conclusion PL does NOT provide accuracy required for Indoor Navigation Location Error is Directly tied to Mapping Source, Procedure, and Human Error PL baseline has been established!! Lots of work still to be done Available for YOU to work on over the Summer! (It can be done in a week….)

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 17 Questions

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 18 Project Objectives Conduct initial Place Lab (PL) investigation –Determine feasibility for mapping (WiFi) access points Understand the Place Lab tool suite –Develop a methodology for adding access points and mapping associated buildings Establish VT_Lan access point mapping in buildings on campus –Room-level resolution location estimate

April 26, 2005Location Awareness Infrastructure at Virginia Tech Using Place Lab 19 Project Objectives Map access points via Lat/Long coordinates using GPS when possible –Provide accurate positioning baseline for location Establish Place Lab database and map products for Virginia Tech and Surrounding Area –Get Place Lab operational, so this project can be expanded for future faculty and student research and expansion.