Fast indoor radio-map building for RSSI-based localization systems

Wireless Indoor localization systems based on RSSI-values typically consist of an offline training phase and online position determination phase. During the offline phase, geo-referenced RSSI measurements, called fingerprints, are recorded to build a radio-map of the building. This radiomap is then searched during the position determination phase to estimate another nodes´ location. Usually the radiomap is build manually, either by users pin-pointing their location on a ready-made floorplan or by moving in pre-specified patterns while scanning the network for RSSI values. This cumbersome process leads to inaccuracies in the radiomap. Here, we propose a system to build the floorplan and radio-map simultaneously by employing a handheld laser mapping system in an IEEE802.15.4-compatible network. This makes indoor- and radio-mapping for wireless localization less cumbersome, faster, more reliable and delivers a new way to evaluate wireless localization systems.