3D-based location positioning using the Dew Computing approach for indoor navigation

In the field of indoor navigation, there is still a lack of a unified system which could be applied to different buildings. As far as existing indoor navigation solutions are concerned, there is a recognised need for developing an application which would allow users to navigate within large buildings, especially when educational institutions are in question. Thus, in our study, we designed, developed and evaluated a web-based application “Virtual FERI” which allows indoor navigation of the G3 building of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (FERI) in Maribor, Slovenia. Following the 3D model of the building, it simplifies the process of seeking the specific classroom in the building which could help newcomer students and guest lecturers to navigate within the building. To evaluate the application, we conducted an experiment with 25 students from the University of Maribor who had not been in building G3 before. Usability and user experience of the application were assessed with a User Experience Questionnaire and System Usability Scale. Time was measured as well. The findings revealed that navigating within the buildings can be faster by using the “Virtual FERI” where usability was sufficient and user experience was satisfactory.