IDG Contributor Network: Lost underground? IoT beacons help subway riders find their way
Navigating through a subway is like a scavenger hunt: You have to look for clues on where to go next.
And GPS, though it works well above ground where satellites provide coordinates to find your bearings, can't help. Underground you can't get accurate coordinates to determine your location and choose a path. Multiple underground floors, thick walls and dozens of stairways mean a different solution is needed—one that:
- Has virtual guideposts that allow a person to get their bearings deep underground
- Is affordable so that hundreds of beacons can be installed for better accuracy
- Is a self-powered system that doesn’t require batteries
Underground in Tokyo: Navigating the Shibuya Station
Tokyo is attempting to solve the navigation problem in its Shibuya Station. The station, a maze with eight train lines, has more than a million people traveling its confusing pathways and platforms every day. To help those commuters, the city is implementing an ambitious project that uses augmented reality (AR), Bluetooth beacons and a mobile app to direct passengers to their destination.
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