Crowdsourcing-Based Learning Data Collection for Real-Time Sensor Error Correction in Indoor Environments

Sufficient training data and high positioning accuracy are crucial components of indoor positioning. However, the collection of learning data consumes much time and manual effort, inhibiting the global spread of indoor positioning technology. The use of crowdsourcing-based data collection that does not require user intervention can reduce deployment effort, but results in loss of positioning accuracy. Pedestrian dead reckoning partly resolves the problem by using a variety of sensors to provide a relatively accurate position; however, the accumulation of errors is yet to be successfully addressed. In this study, we introduce a highly accurate positioning method that implements error correction based on a crowdsourced database. The proposed method constructs learning data without manual effort and the need of reference points in the target area, and improves positioning accuracy by continuously learning and correcting the error distribution of the inertial sensor. The obtained positioning accuracy was approximately 3.38 m for roughly 83% of the collected fingerprints. Furthermore, the error correction algorithm improved the moving distance and direction accuracy by up to 2.86% and 25.7%, respectively. The proposed method was verified through experiments in an office building where it successfully constructed a learning dataset and reflected a dynamic environment by deriving accurate tracking results.