Background
CUFind is an initiative aimed at improving navigation and accessibility within the university's buildings. With a growing campus and increasing foot traffic, finding your way around can be a challenge for both students and visitors. This project aims to provide a comprehensive and user-friendly solution for indoor navigation, utilizing modern technology and design to create a seamless experience. Whether you're looking for a specific classroom, office, or facility, the Carleton University Indoor Wayfinding system will make getting around a breeze.
Motivation
The motivation behind the development of the CU Find application stems from the growing need for effective indoor wayfinding solutions in large, complex buildings. Navigating these spaces can be challenging and time-consuming for users, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the layout or have cognitive or mobility impairments. Traditional means of indoor navigation, such as static signage and maps, often prove inadequate in addressing the unique challenges of indoor environments, leading to frustration and disorientation among users.
An affordable BIM to game engine workflow
The CU Find project was efficiently transformed using the IFC files provided by CIMS through the Datasmith plug-in. Rather than splitting the original scene components (solid body based) into separate FBX chunks (meshes based), Datasmith devised a novel import solution that re-utilizes assets and textures to minimize workload. Although this approach sacrifices some of the original accuracies, the primary objective of CU Find is to establish a cost-effective workflow. By pre-processing the layering in Revit, we can achieve a layered view during the import process into the game engine instead of treating the whole building as a heavy entity.
Implementation of Wayfinding Algorithm
The implementation of an effective wayfinding algorithm is crucial for indoor navigation systems. One widely-used approach is the A* (A-star) algorithm, which is a pathfinding and graph traversal algorithm that relies on nodes to determine the shortest path between two points. The A* algorithm is a popular choice for wayfinding applications due to its efficiency and accuracy in determining the shortest path in various environments. It is an extension of Dijkstra’s algorithm and uses a heuristic approach to estimate the cost of reaching the destination from a given node. By combining the actual cost of reaching a node from the starting point with the heuristic estimate of the cost from that node to the destination, the A* algorithm effectively balances exploration and exploitation during pathfinding.
“Nodes are essentially intersections or the hubs of a city. Paths lead to nodes and thus they are intrinsically linked to one another.” (Richter, 2019) The concept of nodes was originally developed in the field of urban design, and CU find has taken it and implemented it into our indoor navigation calculations. In indoor wayfinding, nodes represent key decision points, such as elevators and stairs, to achieve cross floor navigation.
Door-sign system
CU Find offers an innovative approach to facilitate user location and navigation within complex indoor spaces. By leveraging the existing door sign system of Carleton University, CU Find effectively translates this physical infrastructure into a sophisticated virtual environment, streamlining the wayfinding process.
We developed a Carlton door sign generator, which was adapted from the existing door sign production guidelines, so that we could use the existing Carlton door sign system in our application to bring the user a consistent experience with reality, thus reducing the user's confusion.
Information zone
CU Find, akin to various outdoor mapping applications, features a user interface designed to provide users with an abundance of information regarding points of interest within the indoor environment. During the development process, a substantial number of datasets were reorganized, and the POIs were meticulously reshot in the field to ensure accuracy and relevance. On the left side of the interface, users can access details about various facilities, services, and other noteworthy locations, making it easier to find and navigate to these places within the complex interior spaces of a building. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the overall user experience but also streamlines the wayfinding process.
Special Thanks ❤️
Katie Graham: Instructor, Carleton University.
Dr. Stéfy McKnight: Assistant Professor, Carleton University.
Nico Arellano: CIMS Team Lead, Carleton University.
Hilary Romaniuk: CIMS Team Lead, Carleton University.
Meaghan Kenny: Geospatial Data Service Specialist, Carleton University.
Somei Tam: Senior Disabilities Advisor, PMC, Carleton University.
Richard Crónín: Signage & Wayfinding Administrator, Facilities Management and Planning, Carleton University.
