A generic space definition framework to support seamless indoor/outdoor navigation systems

With recent progress of mobile devices and indoor positioning technologies, it becomes possible to provide location-based services in indoor space as well as outdoor space. It is in a seamless way between indoor and outdoor spaces or in an independent way only for indoor space. However, we cannot simply apply spatial models developed for outdoor space to indoor space due to their differences. For example, coordinate reference systems are employed to indicate a specific position in outdoor space, while the location in indoor space is rather specified by cell number such as room number. Unlike outdoor space, the distance between two points in indoor space is not determined by the length of the straight line but the constraints given by indoor components such as walls, stairs, and doors. For this reason, we need to establish a new framework for indoor space from fundamental theoretical basis, indoor spatial data models, and information systems to store, manage, and analyse indoor spatial data. In order to provide this framework, an international standard, called IndoorGML has been developed and published by OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium). This standard is based on a cellular notion of space, which considers an indoor space as a set of non-overlapping cells. It consists of two types of modules; core module and extension module. While core module consists of four basic conceptual and implementation modeling components (geometric model for cell, topology between cells, semantic model of cell, and multi-layered space model), extension modules may be defined on the top of the core module to support an application area. As the first version of the standard, we provide an extension for indoor navigation.

Abstract. With the fast development of urbanization, the complexity of built environments has dramatically increased, driving a need for assistance in seamless indoor-outdoor navigation. This requires integration of spatial information of indoor and outdoor environments from heterogeneous data sources. While outdoor road network data is largely available from many sources (such as OpenStreetMap), indoor spatial information is either inexistent or is inconsistently represented using several different standards. Among these standards, IndoorGML is a well-developed standard with the focus on indoor location-based services. This standard has already been accepted by Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and is now under active development. Although in IndoorGML some mechanisms have been defined to enable integration of indoor and outdoor networks, there is still a lack of concrete guidelines for determination of indoor-outdoor connections. It also lacks solid scientific foundations and efficient tools to extract the connecting nodes and edges that link indoor and outdoor spaces. To address this gap, in this study we focus on the connection of indoor and outdoor spaces and aim to provide a tool, which can automatically construct navigation graphs of the indoor-outdoor transitional space to support seamless integration of indoor-outdoor navigation. To this end, voxel-based modeling approaches are used to model the connecting space between indoor and outdoor environments. Based on Python, we develop the intended tool, which can generate voxel models from point clouds, identify navigable space by taking into account the characteristics of agents (such as pedestrians, wheelchairs, and vehicles), and automatically build navigation graphs linking IndoorGML networks with outdoor street networks. It is expected that the methodology and tools developed from this project will benefit the IndoorGML ecosystem and greatly advance the capability of IndoorGML in representing navigable space to support location-based services.

Yards of schools and educational environments while having different abilities, are considered as an effective factor in education and learning. But in nowadays schools of Iran, the yards are generally free of educational role, while traditional schools in combination with outdoor space and using the yard have previously had a dynamic function. This research studies on the role of these spaces and manner of their relationships with indoor spaces in traditional and contemporary schools of Iran in addition to the effect of outdoor spaces of school as an effective factor on learning improvement in children. This article has been fulfilled based on a Contents Analysis research methodology, and the data has been collected based on documentary and field studies. The results of the research indicate that outdoor spaces of schools consisting of natural and artificial landscapes will have important role on children training and learning through providing the possibility of active partnership, social partnership, deep understanding and conception, natural growth and readiness, decrease of stress and producing interest and motivation. Also, green spaces facilitate the children’s learning process through providing a suitable location for different domains of education such as: experience of environmental sciences, creativity and presentation of artistic aspects. In this way, we can improve the designing operation for children’s training spaces through putting into operation of the direct (spatial relationship without mediator) and indirect (situation of mediator spaces such as public and private semi-outdoor or public indoor or private spaces) spatial relationships between indoor and outdoor spaces. One of the other factors for improvement of schools efficiency is establishment of different states of relationship such as availability, visual and audio relationships between indoor and outdoor educational spaces.

The purpose of this study is to propose the environmental planning guidelines of elementary school settings for a crime safety. The research methodologies To achieve the goal, the literature review analysis and the survey were used as main research methodologies. The survey is organized as follows. First, elementary education facilities were divided into 20 spaces based on the major space. Second, after analyzing the domestic and foreign CPTED Guidelines, elements of environmental planning were classified to fit in the space. Based on this, the expert survey was conducted. The results of this study are as follows; First, it is necessary to consider specific places such as 'toilets', 'parking lot', 'in-between space', 'main access road', 'sub-access road' and 'harmful facilities around school' for safer school environment. Second, it is significant to plan 'equipment facilities' and 'outdoor space in the school setting' with priority for elementary education environment. Third, environmental planning elements for safer elementary schools can be classified into 9 factors(types) including 'natural surveillance planning', 'territoriality reinforcement planning', 'mechanical surveillance planning', 'access control planning' and 'neighborhood reinforcement planning'. Forth, regarding 'indoor space', crime-free elementary school environment can be build through 'natural surveillance planning' and 'territoriality reinforcement planning'. Finally, regarding 'outdoor space', the crime can be prevented through 'natural surveillance planning' and 'access control planning'.

PurposeWith the rapid development of the indoor spaces positioning technologies such as the radio-frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth and WI-FI, the locations of indoor spatial objects (static or moving) constitute an important foundation for a variety of applications. However, there are many challenges and limitations associated with the structuring and querying of spatial objects in indoor spaces. The purpose of this study is to address the current trends, limitations and future challenges associated with the structuring and querying of spatial objects in indoor spaces. Also it addresses the related features of indoor spaces such as indoor structures, positioning technologies and others.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the author focuses on understanding the aspects and challenges of spatial database managements in indoor spaces. The author explains the differences between indoor spaces and outdoor spaces. Also examines the issues pertaining to indoor spaces positioning and the impact of different shapes and structures within these spaces. In addition, the author considers the varieties of spatial queries that relate specifically to indoor spaces.FindingsMost of the research on data management in indoor spaces does not consider the issues and the challenges associated with indoor positioning such as the overlapping of Wi-Fi. The future trend of the indoor spaces includes included different shapes of indoors beside the current 2D indoor spaces on which the majority of the data structures and query processing for spatial objects have focused on. The diversities of the indoor environments features such as directed floors, multi-floors cases should be considered and studied. Furthermore, indoor environments include many special queries besides the common ones queries that used in outdoor spaces such as KNN, range and temporal queries. These special queries need to be considered in data management and querying of indoor environments.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper successfully addresses the current trends, limitations and future challenges associated with the structuring and querying of spatial objects in indoor spaces.

대부분의 멀티미디어 데이터는 위치정보를 가지고 있다. 따라서 각 멀티미디어 데이터에 적절한 위치정보를 추가하면, 다양한 용도로 활용이 가능하다. 특히 멀티미디어의 위치검색이 다양한 검색조건으로 제공될 수 있다. 지금까지 멀티미디어의 위치는 주로 실외공간의 (x, y, z) 좌표공간을 기반으로 정의된다. 최근 실내공간 정보기술이 발달하면서 실외뿐 아니라, 실내공간에서도 다양한 위치기반 서비스가 가능하며, 멀티미디어의 실내공간 안에서의 위치를 정의할 수 있게 되었다. 그러나 실내공간의 위치는 실외공간의 위치참조체계와 다르다. 예를 들어, 실내공간에서 위치를 지정할 때는 좌표를 이용하지 않고, 층과 방의 번호를 이용한다. 방 번호와 같은 기호를 이용하여 위치를 지정하는 공간을 기호공간이라고 한다. 본 논문에서는 기호공간을 기반으로 실내공간에서 만들어진 멀티미디어 자료의 위치를 지정하는 방법을 제안한다. 이 방법은 특히 현재 진행 중인 OGC의 실내공간정보 표준인 IndoorGML에서 제시하는 데이터모델을 이용한다. 따라서 본 방법은 실내공간에서 만들어진 멀티미디어의 위치를 효과적으로 표현하며, 동시에 여러 시스템이나 서비스간의 호환성을 높이는데 유용하다. Most multimedia contains location information whether they are implicit or explicitly, and which are very useful for several purposes. In particular, we may use location information in defining query conditions to retrieve relevant multimedia. For this reason, a number of works have been done to organize and retrieve geo-referenced multimedia data. However, they mostly focus on outdoor space where position is identified by (x, y, z) coordinates. In this paper, we focus on multimedia in an alternative space, indoor space, which differs from outdoor space in several aspects. First indoor space is considered as symbolic space, where location is identified by a symbolic code such as room number rather than coordinates. Second, topological information is a crucial element in providing indoor spatial information services. Third, indoor space is in more micro-scale than outdoor space, which influences on determining the visibility of cameras. Based on these different characteristics of indoor space, we survey the requirements of management systems of indoor geo-referenced multimedia. Then we propose a geo-coding scheme for multimedia in indoor space as an extension of IndoorGML, an OGC(Open Geospatial Consortium) candidate standard for indoor spatial information. We also present a prototype system called, IngC (INdoor Geo-Coding) developed to store and manage indoor geo-referenced multimedia.

Fungi are one of the bioaerosols in indoor air of hospitals. They have adverse effects on staff and patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of three incubation temperature on the density and composition of airborne fungi in an indoor and outdoor space of hospital. Sabouraud dextrose agar was used for culture the fungi. For improvement of aseptic properties, chloramphenicol was added to this medium. The density of airborne fungi was less than 282CFU/m3. The highest density was detected in emergency room and the lowest of them was in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and operation room (OR). Results showed that fungi levels at 25°C were higher than 37 and 15°C (p = 0.006). In addition, ten different genera of fungi were identified in all departments. The predominant fungi were Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., Paecilomyces spp., and Aspergillus niger. Moreover, the density and trend of distribution of Fusaruim spp. in the indoor space was directivity to outdoor space by ventilation system. The present study has provided that incubation temperature had effect on airborne fungi remarkably. We are suggested that more studies would be conducted on incubation temperature and other ambient factors on airborne fungi.

Influence of architectural design on indoor environment in apartment buildings in Havana

With the development of sensing technologies, various spatial applications have been expanding into indoor spaces. For smooth spatial services, grasping indoor space information is most essential task. However, the indoor spaces is not only becoming increasingly complex, but also frequently changed than outdoor spaces. This makes it hard to provide an accurate location based service in an indoor space. This paper propose a way of managing a dynamic indoor environment by defining a multi-layered indoor model in terms of an object mobility. It allows an indoor space to be managed more elaborate and realistic than up-to-date indoor models which only consider an indoor floor plan. We firstly define a classification of indoor objects based on their characteristic to frequently change location, and propose three-layers indoor model followed by the classified objects with its mobility. Secondly, we design and implement an autonomous scanning system to understand changes of indoor situation quickly and automatically. The system is made up of a combination of IoT devices, including a programmable robot, lidar scanner and single-board computer. Finally, we demonstrate an implementation of the system with constructing the proposed model from a real indoor environment.

It can be quite difficult to search efficiently in complicated surroundings with hierarchical structures, enormous scales, and a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces. In order to handle these complications, this abstract presents a novel strategy that combines local research with global planning. We facilitate effective navigation and search by utilizing a hierarchical model of the environment, which combines detailed local representations with coarse grained global maps. Our methodology combines rapid-exploring random trees (RRTs) for local exploration, graph-based path planning for global routes, and a priority queue to control the planning cycle. The efficiency of the search is further increased by applying the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) for localized optimization and including historical paths. By increasing search completeness and lowering computational overhead, this method seeks to offer a reliable solution for autonomous agents functioning in intricate urban and comparable contexts. The suggested paradigm bridges the gap between localized, reactive research and global strategic planning, providing a substantial improvement in search strategies for complex environments. We reduce the computational load that comes with large-scale environments by breaking down the search issue into digestible hierarchical levels. Efficient navigation to target areas and in-depth investigation within them are ensured by integrating well-known algorithms like A* and RRT into a coherent planning cycle that is directed by a priority queue. A more resilient and flexible search approach is also facilitated by the strategic use of TSP to optimize localized search patterns and the integration of historical trajectory data for well-informed decision-making. This strategy has potential for a variety of applications where effective and thorough search capabilities are critical, such as autonomous robotics, disaster response, and virtual environment exploration.

Humans spend most of their life in indoor spaces. As indoor spaces are becoming increasingly complex, there are compelling needs for efficient indoor GIS and navigation systems. For indoor navigations, numerous geometric network models have been proposed as navigable spatial models for 3D indoor environments in the past decade. Most of the existing discussions, however, tend to focus on conceptual representations of geometric networks; not enough attention has been given on the generation processes of navigable networks for 3D indoor environments. It is actually nontrivial, considering accurate and complete floor plans, the conventional data sources for building indoor geometric networks, are oftentimes not available for various reasons (e.g., copyright, public safety concerns). With the continue advances of 3D imaging and scanning technologies, 3D data models with fine geometric structures and high quality textures are increasingly available for indoor spaces, thus provide a novel data source for building indoor geometric networks. In this paper, an interactive approach is presented to derive 3D, navigable, geometric network models from these 3D data models. Specifically, this approach includes three steps: decomposing 3D building models in terms of floors, interactively creating geometric network elements (e.g., nodes and edges) and then automatically generating geometric network models. The presented approach is implemented and its advantages are demonstrated with a real world 3D building data.

실내공간이 점차 복잡해짐에 따라 실외뿐만 아니라 실내에서도 LBS (Location Based Service)의 수요가 증가하고 있다. 그러나 실생활에 편의를 주는 LBS의 이면에는 개인의 위치 노출과 이로 인한 프라이버시 침해의 문제가 포함되어 있다. 위치 K-익명화 기술은 적어도 K-1명의 다른 사용자를 포함시키는 ASR (Anonymized Spatial Region)을 생성하여 위치를 은폐하여 이러한 프라이버시 문제를 해결하는 대표적인 연구 분야이다. 하지만 기존 연구들은 대부분 유클리디안 거리를 기반으로 하는 실외 공간에서 이루어 졌으며, 구조물에 의해 제약이 있는 실내공간에 적용시키기에는 한계점이 존재한다. 이에 본 논문에서는 실내공간의 구조와 위치 표현 방법을 고려하여 위치 은폐를 위한 K-익명화 방법을 제안한다. 위치의 은폐를 위해 실내공간의 계층 구조를 생성하여 이 구조에서 K-1명의 다른 사용자를 포함하도록 노드를 확장시키는 방법을 소개한다. 또한 제안된 방법의 성능을 분석하기 위하여 K와 계층구조의 특성에 따른 비용모델도 함께 제시한다. Due to complexity of indoor space, the demand of Location Based Services (LBS) in indoor space is increasing as well as outdoor. However, it includes privacy problems of exposing personal location. Location K-anonymity technology is a method to solve the privacy problems with cloaking their locations by Anonymized Spatial Region(ASR). It guarantees K users within a region containing the location of a given user. However previous researches have dealt the problems based on Euclidean distance in outdoor space, and cannot be applied in indoor space where there are constraints of movement such as walls. For this reason, we propose in this paper a K-anonymity for cloaking indoor location in consideration of structures and representation of indoor space. The basic concept of our approach is to introduce a hierarchical structure as ASR for including K-1 users for cloaking their locations. We also proposed a cost model by K and attributes of hierarchical structure to analyze the performance of the method.

GPS accuracy is poor in indoor environments and around buildings. Thus, reading and following signs still remains the most common mechanism for providing and receiving wayfinding information in such spaces. This puts individuals who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) at a great disadvantage, and thus, there remains a great need to provide a low-cost, easy to use, and reliable wayfinding system within indoor and outdoor spaces that complements existing satellite-based systems. This work designs, implements, and evaluates a wayfinding system and smartphone application called CityGuide that can be used by BVI individuals to navigate their surroundings beyond what is possible with just a GPS-based system. CityGuide enables an individual to query and get turn-by-turn shortest route directions from an indoor location to an outdoor location. CityGuide leverages recently developed indoor wayfinding solutions in conjunction with GPS signals to provide a seamless indoor-outdoor navigation and wayfinding system that guides a BVI individual to their desired destination through the shortest route. Evaluations of CityGuide with BVI human subjects navigating between an indoor starting point to an outdoor destination within an unfamiliar university campus scenario showed it to be effective in reducing end-to-end navigation times and distances of almost all participants.

Children, Youth and Environments 23(2), 2013 Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms: Designing and Implementing ChildCentered Learning Environments Eric Nelson (2012). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 203 pages. $49.95 USD (paperback). ISBN 978-1-60554-025-2. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax. Clear your mind of thoughts. Try to recall the earliest time you can remember being outdoors. Where were you? What were you doing? Who were you with? How did you feel? What did you hear? What did you smell? What did you see? What was the value of that experience? (Nelson 2012, 13) Do children today have similar experiences? Do you think they should? Eric Nelson delivers a compelling argument that children today are facing an escalating “silent emergency” of challenges, with negative impacts not only for children, but for society as a whole. Writing from an educator’s perspective, Nelson’s experience is framed by his time working in Southern California developing the Outdoor Classroom—which is not only a place, but a philosophy. Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms: Designing and Implementing Child-Centered Learning Environments encourages a way of thinking about children’s environments as synergetic places, where indoor and outdoor spaces constitute a single learning environment. Through well-organized, straightforward text and fabulous photographs, the book offers educators and parents alike inspiration and ideas for ways to enhance outdoor spaces for children’s learning. The goal of the Outdoor Classroom is uncomplicated: simply “to increase the quantity, quality and benefit of outdoor experiences for children” (8). While many other early childhood professionals offer the same advice as Nelson—get kids outside, for longer periods of time—Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms successfully bridges the gap between the oft-heard “why” and the seldom-articulated “how.” By streamlining the overall vision while acknowledging the challenges ahead, Nelson defines the key steps for readers to successfully imagine, plan, implement, and utilize their own Outdoor Classroom. Working from short- to long-term, the book effectively introduces and guides the reader through development strategies, including stakeholder buy-in, establishing a plan, setting priorities, creating action steps, and evaluation. The book is well structured and divides a rather complex process into manageable steps that keep the vision and goals central to the actions needed to achieve the end result—a rich, diverse, child-led and adult-supported learning environment.© 2013 Children, Youth and Environments Book Review: Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms: Designing and Implementing... 216 The roles of both teacher and child in the Outdoor Classroom are clearly defined, but perhaps some of the peripheral roles (parents, maintenance staff, and wider community) could have been explored in more depth. It would be valuable to know if Nelson encountered or developed any particular strategies that creatively engaged stakeholders in these roles. Particularly well defined are the Outdoor Classroom’s three linchpins: teaching, program design, and environment. However, these could have been further strengthened with photo captions to point out key design details or programming strategies that proved particularly effective. This may have proved more informative than the appendix at the end of the book, which, through a single photograph and bullet point text, attempts to address common play yard design flaws. A more carefully articulated picture of poor-quality outdoor environments would help readers identify places for improvement in their own spaces and would also help educate both teachers and design professionals on the value of highquality , well designed Outdoor Classrooms. For those interested in beginning to rethink how children learn outdoors, or even those who have taken steps already to naturalize their outdoor spaces, Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms: Designing and Implementing Child-Centered Learning Environments will serve as an essential guide to step-by-step improvement. Review by Sarah Werner Konradi Sarah Konradi holds a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design, and a MLA from North Carolina State University. She is a Design Associate at the Natural Learning Initiative, part of a diverse team focusing at the community level to improve children’s health and development through design education and technical assistance for the implementation of naturalized outdoor learning environments. She is involved in the programming and design of a wide range of outdoor spaces, including childcare centers, schools, parks, and nonformal...

Sound surrounds and envelops us, whether we are indoors or out, at work or at play, in cities or in the country. We hear voices, vehicles, birds, wind in trees, machinery, footsteps, raindrops, telephones, the hum and beeps of our electronics, dogs barking, and sometimes the sound of blood moving through our bodies. Sound, through speech, is still the medium of much of our communication with others, despite the ubiquity of message texts and emails. Sound is always present, and our ears are always switched on, even when we are asleep. We share an acoustic environment with any who occupy the same indoor or outdoor space that we do. This book is primarily about the acoustic environments that we experience (when not cocooned in the private acoustic space of headphones and recorded sound) in all the places of our cities, suburbs and villages, countryside and natural areas. While much of the emphasis in this book is on sound in outdoor space, many of the observations, principles, and approaches will also apply toCONTENTS1.1 Acoustic Environment 1 1.2 Sound Sources in the Acoustic Environment 3 1.3 Soundscape 51.3.1 Soundscape as a Perceptual Construct 5 1.3.2 Responses and Outcomes 6 1.3.3 Other Uses of the Soundscape Term 71.4 Soundscape-Landscape Analogy 8 1.5 Soundscape in Different Languages 9 1.6 Role of Context 10 1.7 Comparing Soundscape and Environmental NoiseManagement Approaches 12 1.8 Summary 13 References 15hybrid indoor-outdoor spaces-malls and markets, transport stations, sports stadia, museums, and the balconies of our own dwellings-and to indoor spaces in hospitals, educational institutions, restaurants, and even our dwellings. We have a particular focus in this book on the planning, design, and management of the environment of these areas, and human experience of them. Acoustic installations, and the recording of outdoor sound, as deliberate works of art, are not within the scope of this book.