Inertial-vision sensor fusion for pedestrian localization

The localization of an ambulatory individual, a.k.a. a pedestrian, is a quickly-developing domain with the potential to permeate into a variety of applications, as knowledge of an individual´s location within an environment becomes ever-more useful. In order to automate the localization task, positioning modules are prime candidates for inclusion in a system. Such modules are expected to reduce both the effort and time incurred during the localization process while improving the accuracy and organization of the exchanged data. Building on and combining recent developments in the fields of step detection using inertial measurement units and structure from motion using a camera rig, the work presented in this paper is an implementation of a pedestrian localization system targeted specifically at infrastructure-less indoor localization. The inertial measurement unit and camera rigs are respectively attached to the mobile user´s foot and waist, and the collected data is processed by the localization module to obtain a current position. The focus of this paper is the implementation and preliminary testing of this localization module´s components.