Understanding collaborative workspaces:spatial affordances & time constraints

Abstract. This thesis presents a generic solution for indoor positioning and movement monitoring, positioning data collection and analysis with the aim of improving the interior design of collaborative workspaces. Since the nature of the work and the work attitude of employees varies in different workspaces, no general workspace layout can be applied to all situations. Tailoring workspaces according to the exact needs and requirements of the employees can improve collaboration and productivity. Here, an indoor positioning system based on Bluetooth Low Energy technology was designed and implemented in a pilot area (an IT company), and the position of the employees was monitored during a two months period. The pilot area consisted of an open workplace with workstations for nine employees and two sets of coffee tables, four meeting rooms, two coffee rooms and a soundproof phone booth. Thirteen remixes (BLE signal receivers) provided full coverage over the pilot area, while light durable BLE beacons, which were carried by employees acted as BLE signal broadcasters. The RSSIs of the broadcasted signals from the beacons were recorded by each remix within the range of the signal and the gathered data was stored in a database. The gathered RSSI data was normalized to decrease the effect of workspace obstacles on the signal strength. To predict the position of beacons based on the recorded RSSIs, a few approaches were tested, and the most accurate one was chosen, which provided an above 95% accuracy in predicting the position of each beacon every 3 minutes. This approach was a combination of fingerprinting with a Machine Learning-based Random Forest Classifier. The obtained position results were then used to extract various information about the usage pattern of different workspace areas to accurately access the current layout and the needs of the employees