Environment Modeling

Positioning technologies calculate positions relative to a coordinate system. However, mere coordinates are often not very helpful to users, who then require an additional frame of reference. For instance, calculated positions are far easier to work with if visualized on a map. In many cases, descriptive information such as "I'm in Nuremberg City Hall" is far more useful than geometric coordinates. Environment models provide a frame of reference for software applications intended for positioning. In a first step, reality needs to be captured as accurately as possible.

Fraunhofer IIS has developed environment modeling software that enables three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of buildings and urban areas. As a rule, this is achieved by defining hierarchically nested logical entities that are assigned geometric shapes and positions in the coordinate system used. As well as implicitly defined names, the logical entities created can then provide any kind of application-specific data for positioning applications. For example, information regarding points of interest such as pharmacies or ATMs can be directly embedded in the model. Information about the user's current surroundings can also improve positioning accuracy. If the calculated position is impossible, for example because it would mean that the user would be inside a wall, it can be mapped to the nearest accessible spot. This is known as map matching. Knowledge of inaccessible areas or structural openings allows positioning systems to optionally plan a route from a calculated position to a logically defined destination.

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