There are just a few steps to get up and running so you can test and evaluate indoor positioning and indoor navigation. There's no reason you can't be set up and testing within a day. We've had some users do it in a couple of hours. This is a unique feature of our Sail technology, which requires no fingerprinting, calibration, or complex setup, and has a free account tier with no expiry.
When you log in to the web console for the first time, you'll be presented with this screen:
The steps required are:
- Create (import) Floorplan
- Place Beacons
- Check Beacon Coverage
- Configure App
Floorplan
Follow this 'How to' guide to get set up with an indoor floorplan. You can use Sail's built-in floorplan service (just upload a png plan), or if you already use a supported third-party indoor mapping service, you can import your existing plan.
Beacons
Sail uses iBeacon compatible Bluetooth transmitters for positioning. The installed beacon locations need to be indicated on the floorplan using the web console. Follow this 'How to' guide for beacon placement on the console. An absolute minimum of 3 beacons are required before Sail will work. But for a reasonable test of indoor positioning and indoor navigation in a small area, 10 to 20 beacons is a realistic number.
Once beacon positions have been entered onto the floorplan, the coverage checker allows you to see the area that has been sufficiently covered for adequate positioning.
Demo App
The Sail Demo App is available for iPhones and Android phones.
It uses Sail positioning to provide the user's location as a blue dot on the floorplan. You can use this to evaluate indoor navigation.
The demo app also provides a measurement facility. You can draw a route on the map, and then walk the route, tapping as you reach each waypoint. The app will then score positioning accuracy. This enables you to check whether optimal positioning is being achieved in a less subjective way.