Sensor fusion will surpass Wi-Fi and BLE as the most important handset-based indoor location technology by 2017, said ABI Research.
Sensor fusion is vital in enabling a consistent location experience, RF mapping, and the industry to scale rapidly. Highly complex algorithms are required to optimize sensor outputs, integrate with other location technologies and combine with machine learning and data-fusion algorithms.
As smartphones embrace always-on, ubiquitous location, location-based sensor fusion will become a standard feature, said ABI Research. Location-based sensor fusion will enable the dawn of the quantified self, ambient intelligence, as well as provide huge potential around advertising and retail.
“We see a significant trend towards hybridization, with Wi-Fi, BLE, and senor fusion proving to be vital. By 2014, hybrid solutions will have already surpassed standalone indoor location technologies on smartphones. Longer term, technologies around optical light, object recognition, and LTE-direct are all forecast to offer differentiation,” said ABI Research’s Patrick Connolly.
The market is largely divided between Sensor IC OEMs, GPS/connectivity IC OEMs, and a group of really interesting start-ups. Companies like Movea, HillCrest, indoo.rs, and Senionlab are creating some intriguing solutions and will represent the next generation of acquisitions and partnerships in indoor location.
