Indoor Localization with Smartphones: Harnessing the Sensor Suite in Your Pocket

The need for indoor localization systems that can provide reliable access to location information in areas that are not serviced sufficiently by a global positioning system (GPS) has continued to grow. There are a wide variety of use cases for this localization data and increasing interest from industry, academia, and government agencies that has fueled research in this area. Smartphones are uniquely positioned to be a critical part of a localization solution based on the proliferation of these devices and the diverse array of sensors and radios that they contain. In this article, the capabilities of these sensors are explored along with the benefits and drawbacks of each for localization. Various methods for employing these sensors are surveyed. Many localization systems currently being explored utilize a combination of complimentary methods to enhance accuracy and reliability and decrease energy consumption of the overall system. Several of these localization frameworks are also explored. Finally, we describe the major challenges that are being faced in current research on indoor localization with smartphones, as they are critical for charting the path for future advances in indoor localization.