Behavior modeling for a beacon-based indoor location system

In this work we performed a comparison between two different approaches to track a person in indoor environments using a locating system based on BLE technology with a smartphone and a smartwatch as monitoring devices. To do so, we provide the system architecture we designed and describe how the different elements of the proposed system interact with each other. Moreover, we have evaluated the system’s performance by computing the mean percentage error in the detection of the indoor position. Finally, we present a novel location prediction system based on neural embeddings, and a soft-attention mechanism, which is able to predict user’s next location with 67% accuracy

Automatic detection and indication of pallet-level tagging from rfid readings using machine learning algorithms

Identifying specific locations of items such as containers, warehouse pellets, and returnable packages in a large environment, for instance, in a warehouse, requires an extensive tracking system that could identify the location through data visualization. This is the similar case for radio-frequency identification (RFID) pallet level signal as the accuracy of determining the position for specific location either on the level or stacked in the same direction are read uniformly. However, there is no single study focusing on pallet-level classification, in particular on distance measurement of pallet height. Hence, a methodological approach that could provide the solution is essential to reduce the misplaced issues and thus reduce the problem in searching the products in a large-scale setting. The objective of this work attempts to define the pallet level of the stacked RFID tags through the machine learning techniques framework. The methodology started with the pallet-level which firstly determined by manual clustering according to the product code number of the tags that were manufactured for defining the actual level. An additional study of the radio frequency of the tagged pallet box in static condition was carried out by determining the feature of the time series. Various sample sizes of 1 Hz, 5 Hz and 10 Hz combined with the received signal strength of maximum, minimum, mode, median, mean, variance, maximum and minimum difference, kurtosis and skewness are evaluated. The statistical features of the received signal strength reading are analyzed by the selection of the univariate features, feature importance technique, and principal component analysis. The received signal strength of the maximum, median, and mean of all statistical features has been shown to be significant specifically for the 10Hz sample size. Different machine learning classifiers were tested based on the significant features, namely the Artificial Neural Network, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Naive Bayes Support Vector Machine, and k-Nearest Neighbors. It was shown that up to 95.02% of the trained Random Forest Model could be classified, indicating that the established framework is viable for pallet classification. Furthermore, the efficacy of different models based on heuristic hyperparameter tuning is evaluated in which the different kernel function for Support Vector Machine, various distance metrics of k-Nearest Neighbors. The ensemble learning technique, changes of activation function in Neural Network as well as the unsupervised learning (k-means clustering algorithm and Friis Transmission Equation) was also applied to classify the multiclass classification in pallet-level. In results, it was found that the Random Forest provided 92.44% of the test sets with the highest accuracy. In order to further validate the position of the tagging in the pallet box of the Random Forest model developed, a different predefined location was used to validate the model. The best position that could achieve a classification accuracy of 93.30% through the validation process for position five (5) in the systematic model that is the centre of the pallet box. In conclusion, it can be inferred from the analysis that the Random Forest model has better predictive performance compared to the rest of the pallet level partition model with a height of 12 cm used in this research. Based on the train, validation, and test sets in Random Forest, the RFID capability to determine the position of the pallet can be detected precisely

3D Indoor Positioning in 5G networks

Over the past two decades, the challenge of accurately positioning objects or users indoors, especially in areas where Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are not available, has been a significant focus for the research community. With the rise of 5G IoT networks, the quest for precise 3D positioning in various industries has driven researchers to explore various machine learning-based positioning techniques. Within this context, researchers are leveraging a mix of existing and emerging wireless communication technologies such as cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Visible Light Communication (VLC), etc., as well as integrating any available useful data to enhance the speed and accuracy of indoor positioning. Methods for indoor positioning involve combining various parameters such as received signal strength (RSS), time of flight (TOF), time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), direction of arrival (DOA) and more. Among these, fingerprint-based positioning stands out as a popular technique in Real Time Localisation Systems (RTLS) due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Positioning systems based on fingerprint maps or other relevant methods find applications in diverse scenarios, including malls for indoor navigation and geo-marketing, hospitals for monitoring patients, doctors, and critical equipment, logistics for asset tracking and optimising storage spaces, and homes for providing Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) services. A significant challenge facing all indoor positioning systems is the objective evaluation of their performance. This challenge is compounded by the coexistence of heterogeneous technologies and the rapid advancement of computation. There is a vast potential for information fusion to be explored. These observations have led to the motivation behind our work. As a result, two novel algorithms and a framework are introduced in this thesis