Indoor/Outdoor Mobile Navigation via Knowledge-Based POI Discovery in Augmented Reality

This paper proposes a novel framework and system for a mobile navigation assistant fit for the purpose of moving within a complex built space. Notable features include: annotation of accessibility information in the crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap (OSM) cartography; semantic description of Location-Based Services (LBSs) and Points Of Interest (POIs); a mobile Augmented Reality (AR) user interface; a built-in routing engine with support for both outdoor and indoor positioning and navigation in multilevel buildings. A functional prototype was developed for Android mobile devices specifically devoted to assist users with physical disabilities. Its effectiveness in POI discovery and accessibility conscious navigation were tested in a case study in the campus of the Technical University of Bari.