WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons for Indoor Positioning System

Indoor Positioning System (IPS) is used to locate a person, an object or a location inside a building. IPS is important in providing location-based services, which has recently gain much popularity. The services ease visitors’ navigation at unfamiliar premises. Location-based services depend on the capability of IPS to accurately determine the location of the user, which is a challenging issue in indoor environments. Several wireless technologies are available. In this paper, two of the most widely used IPS technologies are reviewed which are, WiFi and Bluetooth low energy (BLE). Their advantages and disadvantages are reviewed and reported here. Comparison of the systems based on their performance, accuracy and limitations are presented as well.