The patented technology utilizes built-in magnetometers in smartphones to detect anomalies in the earth's geomagnetic field to help users reliably navigate through indoor spaces without requiring any additional infrastructure. The end user experience is very similar to using GPS outdoors.
"Throughout the industry, we've heard skepticism about the accuracy of magnetic positioning," said Greg Sterling, senior analyst Opus Research. "We were impressed, however, by the high level of accuracy and performance of the Indoor Atlas solution in an actual retail environment."
Essentially, the app uses the built-in compass in smart devices to pinpoint indoor locations making it the ideal platform for Apple's iPhone and iPad, without requiring any external hardware such as Bluetooth beacons or Wi-Fi connectivity. Currently, iOS supports only Apple's iBeacon micro-fencing solution for indoor positioning.
With this release, the IndoorAtlas API and tools are now easily accessible to app developers who can now build long-awaited indoor positioning features to their iOS apps.
"This is a game-changing positioning technology for iOS. There is no iOS solution for indoor mapping and positioning so far because Apple iOS platform does not have open APIs for Wi-Fi positioning, which is what most mapping companies rely upon, including Google," said Prof. Janne Haverinen, CEO and Founder, IndoorAtlas. "IndoorAtlas technology bypasses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth beacons, and GPS by using earth's geomagnetic fields. This opens up a world of possibilities for in-store and in-mall mapping mobile apps that support location-based point-of-sale, advertising and marketing."
There is a host of commercial applications in many verticals such as retail, public-safety, manufacturing, and social networking to mention a few.
"We are working closely with various technology players to make indoor positioning truly ubiquitous and global, and available for everyone. We are proud to be the provider of the first cross platform indoor location solution for all developers out there," said Haverinen. "Our solution has also a built-in capability to add value to existing infrastructure investments such as iBeacon or Wi-Fi to always deliver the best positioning performance with less or no hardware costs."
Product Highlights and Benefits at a Glance
- Geomagnetic field-based indoor positioning solution for iOS, opening up new opportunities to build indoor positioning features for iOS apps.
- First solution of its kind for iOS platform to map and pinpoint locations indoors.
- 6 ft. accuracy level makes the solution ideal for retail and commercial marketing applications.
- IndoorAtlas API and tools are available for third-party app developers.
- Software-only technology offers cost savings.
- Cross platform solution available for both Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms.
Useful Links:
iOS app in iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/indooratlas/id720005234?mt=8
Tutorial video for using the iOS app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLBH-mJ4iKc
iOS SDK for developing your own apps: https://www.indooratlas.com/developers/ios
Getting started guide with IndoorAtlas API: https://www.indooratlas.com/gettingstarted
About IndoorAtlas
IndoorAtlas was founded in 2012 by Professor Janne Haverinen and four other PhDs in computer science, as a spin-off from research conducted at the University of Oulu. The patented technology utilizes built-in magnetometers in smartphones to detect anomalies in the geomagnetic field to help users reliably navigate through indoor spaces without any additional infrastructure. IndoorAtlas is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and Oulu, Finland.
For more information, visit www.indooratlas.com.
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Media Contact: Monika Raj Email Contact (415) 794-6592