A concept for fast indoor mapping and positioning in post-disaster scenarios

This work presents an early concept for a low-cost, lightweight fast mapping and positioning system suitable for civil protection and emergency teams working in post-disaster scenarios. Such a concept envisages continuous, seamless tracking in both indoor and outdoor environments; this would be possible because of the low geometric requirements set by emergency teams: knowing what is the floor and room where they are located is enough. The authors believe that current technologies (both hardware and software) are powerful enough to build such system; such an opinion is backed by an assessment of several currently available sensors (IMUs, RGB-D cameras, GNSS receivers), embedded processors and mapping and positioning algorithms as well as a feasibility study taking into account the several factors playing a role in the problem