What exactly is wayfinding?
Wayfinding is a way to orient your position in the world. It involves taking landmarks and using them as a point of reference to find your relative location. The concept of wayfinding dates back to our ancestors as they used unchanging markers such as “the large tree” or “the narrow river” to communicate a direction. Roads and road signs were later developed to be used as a network to connect neighboring cities. These road signs acted as an informative marker to the traveler.
How has technology changed?
Humankind has advanced since then with the discovery of GPS, leading the way across countries. GPS is only really useful outdoors because it requires access to satellite signals to retrieve the location of your position. Once indoors, this satellite signal becomes weak and makes it hard to obtain accurate navigation. That’s where indoor wayfinding technology comes into play.
Indoor wayfinding and navigation are still relatively new technology, only being used frequently over the past 10-15 years. Previously indoor wayfinding consisted of static maps and signage that would direct visitors to areas of the building with arrows pointing in different directions to guide them. Although this sort of traditional wayfinding experience is still being used in buildings today, there has been a demand for better customer experiences when navigating an unfamiliar space.
In some buildings, such as malls or large retailers, there is a static map on a kiosk that will allow you to visualize the floorplan of the building, showing a “you are here” pin for you to orient yourself on the map. Although this is helpful there is so much more that can be done to help visitors have a pleasant experience when navigating your store.
Navigating indoors
So, if GPS doesn’t work indoors how do we get directions when we are lost inside? There are a few different technologies that companies can implement to help with indoor navigation.
BLE Beacons
Bluetooth low-energy beacons are small wireless devices that are typically mounted throughout an indoor venue on walls or other physical entities. They emit signals that smartphone devices can receive. Beacons use distance data from two or more beacons and position the visitor on an indoor map.
UWB
Ultra-wideband technology uses short radio pulses that are transmitted every few nanoseconds to obtain location positioning. Most smartphones do not yet have UWB receivers so this makes it an expensive indoor navigation solution since it requires the installation of expensive hardware to detect location.
These are the two most common technologies people think of when it comes to indoor navigation and wayfinding. The drawbacks to these technologies are that they require the installation of external hardware, which poses some initial upfront costs, as well as the maintenance costs required to keep them up and running.
There are other alternatives to these technologies such as Mapsted technology. Mapsted uses a combination of data sources to obtain positioning without the use of any external hardware. With an accuracy of 1-3 meters, it rivals BLE and UWB for precision and cost.
Additional benefits of indoor wayfinding
Whichever route your company decides to take when choosing an indoor positioning system (IPS) it will benefit your business and customers greatly. Implementing location-based services truly does redefine the indoor experience. Visitors can come to your property and open a digital map, selecting points of interest that they can add to an itinerary. They can follow a route preview to their destination or use turn-by-turn blue dot navigation which shows their position in real-time.
Safer Environment
Indoor wayfinding contributes to a safer environment as well, by helping people find emergency exits in urgent situations or designated safe areas if evacuation is necessary. It can also help with identifying overcrowding in areas and providing information on shorter routes.
Accessibility
When traveling indoors in a wheelchair, some routes just aren’t designed properly to accommodate. A good IPS can allow the visitor to select only routes that offer ramps and elevators to get to their destination.
Route Detours
Sometimes a destination is blocked because of maintenance or emergency. An indoor positioning system can locate where the maintenance is occurring on the map and show an alternative route.
How wayfinding is positively affecting multiple industries
Healthcare
When a visit to the Hospital was necessary, you were always greeted by some sort of large sign directing you to different parts of the building. It was common to see color-coded floor decals leading you in the direction of where you wanted to go. As technology progressed kiosks started becoming more widely used and offered an alternative way to navigate.
Indoor wayfinding has rooted itself in healthcare to provide a better patient experience. When patients arrive feeling sick, it adds additional pressure if they are confused about where to go to get help. An indoor map not only provides a stress-free visit for the patient it can help with the workflow of employees. A nurse can quickly find a doctor within the building and navigate using turn-by-turn directions to convene with them. Using proximity-based location technology these sorts of employee meet-ups can save time and increase productivity.
Transportation
Transportation hubs see a massive fluctuation in people throughout the day. Busy commuters traveling to and from work as well as leisure travelers exploring the city crowd platforms in subway stations and hallways in airports. Overcrowding can reduce the efficiency of the flow of traffic resulting in issues with safety. When transportation hubs harness the power of an indoor maps platform they can mitigate crowds and create a safer travel experience for all. These busy environments are excellent spaces for indoor positioning systems. Travelers can find the location of their departure and arrival gates easier and can route themselves to ticket booths and information desks.
Retail
Shoppers want convenience above all else. With most of the population relying on their smartphones for a variety of services they expect experiences that are at their fingertips. This is no exception when it comes to navigation. An indoor map can provide a seamless experience from entry to the exact product the shopper is looking for. For e.g. the shopper can enter the store and open the indoor map. From there, they can search for the product(s) they wish to purchase and add them to their itinerary. Indoor navigation will guide them from product to product with turn-by-turn directions until they have successfully obtained each item.
Offering a hassle-free shopping experience can improve your customer experience score which reflects well on the company’s brand equity. When a store prioritizes how the customer feels when shopping it can create a positive impact and a forever customer.
