In 2009, GLONASS became the first navigation satellite system that made it possible to quickly and accurately determine the coordinates of an object inside buildings. In August 2012, it was decided to create a better and more affordable indoor GPS. 22 companies were involved in the development of the new system.
The GPS navigation system was not originally designed for indoor use and required direct line of sight to satellites. For locating in hypermarkets, large shopping centers, etc. it was possible to use programs such as Destination Maps, or special functions of Google Maps for Android. However, they were imperfect and not user-friendly enough, so mobile device manufacturers thought about the possibility of creating a functional GPS system for indoor use. To develop it, 22 large companies, including Sony Mobile, Samsung and Nokia, formed an In-Location alliance. The indoor GPS navigation system will work in many public places, including airports and train stations. It will allow a person not only to find out his location, but also to choose the most convenient routes, quickly and easily find certain rooms and even find his companion if he accidentally gets lost in the building. To determine the location of a person, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi will be used. An interesting feature of the indoor GPS navigation system lies in its commercial focus: for an additional fee, cafes, restaurants, shops and other establishments located in the building can not only "check in" on the map, but even inform potential customers about discounts, bonuses, promotions, etc. etc. At the time of its creation in August 2012, the In-Location alliance drew up a plan for the development and implementation of a new system. It was assumed that by the end of 2012 the GPS system for indoor will be finalized, and in 2013 - implemented. To use it, a person will only have to install a special program on his mobile device. At the same time, an important feature of GPS for premises will be its availability: it will be possible to use the system in many countries of the world, which is especially important for people who travel frequently and can easily get lost in an unfamiliar airport or shopping center.
