Implementation and first evaluation of an indoor mapping application using smartphones and frameworks

Abstract

In this paper, we present the implementation of a smartphone-based indoor mobile mapping application based on an augmented reality (AR) framework and a subsequent performance evaluation in demanding indoor environments. The implementation runs on Android and iOS devices and demonstrates the great potential of smartphone-based 3D mobile mapping. The application includes several functionalities such as device tracking, coordinate, and distance measuring as well as capturing georeferenced imagery. We evaluate our prototype system by comparing measured points from the tracked device with ground control points in an indoor environment with two different campaigns. The first campaign consists of an open, one-way trajectory whereas the second campaign incorporates a loop closure. In the second campaign, the underlying AR framework successfully recognized the start location and correctly repositioned the device. Our results show that the absolute 3D accuracy of device tracking with a standard smartphone is around 1% of the travelled distance and that the local 3D accuracy reaches sub-decimetre level.