Empowering Accessibility: A Hybrid Bluetooth-Based Approach for Indoor Navigation

Indoor positioning is an ever-evolving IoT research topic that is expected to usher in a new era for the way we interact with environments such as theatres, shopping malls, airports, hospitals, etc. Bluetooth-based solutions present numerous advantages, given the widespread use of Bluetooth-enabled devices like smartphones and wearables by a majority of individuals on a daily basis. The positioning is achieved through Bluetooth beacons, small devices that consistently emit Bluetooth signals, detectable by smartphones or other compatible devices. In this article, the use of Bluetooth technology for indoor positioning is examined and a hybrid method based on both AoA (angle of Arival) and RSSI signals is introduced. Finally, a navigation mobile application for enhancing the accessibility of a theater environment to the visually impaired people is demonstrated.