Yahoo Starts IndoorAtlas Roll-Out

Yahoo! Japan has started to roll out maps using Finnish startup IndoorAtlas‘ geomagnetic indoor positioning technology following the agreement of the two firms earlier this year.

Fresh update of Yahoo! Maps app on Android phones provides location finding and route navigation inside Shinjuku Station, Shibuya Station and Tokyo Station. “This is the first successful use case of geomagnetic technology in Japan, and is a proof point how this technology is evolving globally,” the company said.

The existing map/navigation application lacked location finding and route navigation indoors. “It is difficult to find out which ticket gate and which exit I should use.”, “I get lost in the station.” were some of the users’ views that we had been receiving.

By using geomagnetic technology which enables precise indoor location finding, and by newly incorporating map information of indoors and undergrounds of 3 stations, the most suitable route to the destination will be navigated even from the indoors of maze-like terminal stations.

How it works2

IndoorAtlas, founded in 2012, utilizes the compass sensor in smartphones to detect anomalies in the Earth’s magnetic field to pinpoint a location indoors with their patented solution.

With sub-two meters positioning accuracy – and a platform that supports both Android and iOS – the customers can create venues, collect data and build indoor location-based services, such as proximity advertising, search and way-finding, within their application.