[maemo-developers] Summer Of Code Proposal: Wifi Localization

[From: Henri Bergius]

Hi!

On 3/19/07, Guy Van den Broeck <guyvdb at gmail.com> wrote:
> Over the past year I have been writing modules and demo applications
> that use WiFi signal strengths to localise the user inside a building.
> In urban areas, or inside buildings, where GPS systems often fail, WiFi
> signals are a good alternative.

Sounds interesting. This would be a very nice GeoClue backend.

> There are 2 possible approaches:
> -you can use the list of available MAC-addresses to find your position
> with a resolution of 10s of meters. This can be done by using an (open
> source) wardriving database like SkyHook's, or wigle.net's.

This is also somewhat connected to MaemoPlazer which I'm working on.
Currently it only uses your current WiFi access point, but multiple
might be interesting too...
http://bergie.iki.fi/blog/maemo_plazer_released.html

> -you can use the signalstrengths together with fingerprints taken on
> e.g. a university campus or a game hall and find the user's position
> with a resolution of 1-2 meters. This is suitable for games, musea, etc.
> A particle filter can be used to calculate the moving user's positions
> in time.

This kind of position data would be very interesting. I trust you're
familiar with MIT's Museum Without Walls concept?

http://museum.mit.edu/files/presentations/2006-03-15-mwow/pages/page_9.html

> I have previously implemented this in Java, but I could do it in e.g.
> Python too.

Python (or Mono) would be simpler for the Maemo platform.

> - is anybody willing to mentor this project?

I'd be more than happy to :-)

> guy van den broeck

/Henri

-- 
Henri Bergius
Motorcycle Adventures and Free Software
http://bergie.iki.fi/

Skype: henribergius
Jabber: henri.bergius at gmail.com