Indoor Mobile Mapping and Location-Based Knowledge Services
A special issue of ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (ISSN 2220-9964).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 640
Special Issue Editors
Interests: spatial databases; spatial query languages; mathematical modeling of spatial information; computational geometry; spatio-temporal reasoning; qualitative modeling of geographical information; indoor and outdoor navigation; volunteered geographic information
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The ability to accurately map and navigate indoor environments is a cornerstone of modern spatial technologies, driving innovation in diverse fields such as smart cities, healthcare, logistics, and augmented reality. Unlike outdoor environments, where GPS and satellite imaging dominate, indoor spaces present unique challenges: signal occlusion, a lack of global positioning system (GPS) coverage, and complex spatial structures. These challenges have spurred the development of advanced indoor mobile mapping technologies and location-based knowledge services that leverage novel sensors, algorithms, and data processing techniques.
Indoor mobile mapping combines tools like LiDAR, vision systems, and sensor fusion to create high-resolution, three-dimensional representations of spaces. Paired with sophisticated localization methods such as Wi-Fi fingerprinting, ultra-wideband (UWB) tracking, or visual-inertial odometry; these systems enable precise navigation and spatial analysis within buildings. As the amount of spatial data increases, the focus is shifting from mere data collection to actionable insights, with location-based knowledge services playing a pivotal role in transforming raw spatial information into user-centric solutions for navigation, resource optimization, and decision-making.
The importance of this research area is underscored by its applicability across numerous industries:
- Smart Cities and Infrastructure: Enabling efficient building management and energy optimization.
- Retail and Logistics: Facilitating real-time inventory tracking and customer navigation.
- Healthcare: Supporting indoor navigation in hospitals and resource allocation during emergencies.
- Emergency Response: Enhancing rescue operations with real-time indoor positioning.
This Special Issue aims to achieve the following:
- Highlight Advances in Technology: Showcase the latest breakthroughs in indoor mapping and localization technologies, including sensor development, algorithmic innovations, and system integrations.
- Foster Interdisciplinary Research: Bring together expertise from geospatial science, computer vision, robotics, and data analytics to address the multifaceted challenges of indoor environments.
- Promote Applications and Case Studies: Provide a platform for real-world implementations of indoor mapping and location-based knowledge services, demonstrating their value across various sectors.
- Explore Standards and Ethical Considerations: Address the need for interoperability, accuracy benchmarks, and privacy-preserving methodologies to guide the responsible development of these technologies.
- Define Future Directions: Identify research gaps and emerging opportunities to inspire innovation and collaboration within this growing field.
Relevance to the Journal’s Scope
The subject of this Special Issue aligns closely with the journal’s focus on advancing spatial sciences, technology development, and applications. Indoor mobile mapping and location-based knowledge services embody the interdisciplinary nature of the journal’s scope by integrating geospatial technologies, data science, and practical applications. Furthermore, the topics proposed resonate with the journal's commitment to fostering innovation that benefits society and supports sustainable, efficient, and intelligent systems.
Themes for Exploration
This Special Issue would like to invite contributions on the following themes:
- Advanced sensors and algorithms for indoor mapping.
- AI-driven approaches for indoor localization and mapping.
- Integration of indoor and outdoor mapping systems.
- Applications of AR/VR in location-based knowledge services.
- Standards and benchmarks for indoor spatial data.
- Privacy-preserving solutions for indoor LBS.
- Case studies on successful deployments in diverse industries.
- Evacuation simulation with real-time positioning.
By addressing these motivations and themes, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of current advancements, challenges, and future opportunities in indoor mobile mapping and location-based knowledge services, setting the stage for impactful research and innovation.
Prof. Dr. Eliseo Clementini
Dr. Zhiyong Zhou
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- indoor mapping technologies
- location-based knowledge services
- indoor navigation systems
- geospatial data for indoor spaces
- real-time positioning and tracking
- AI-driven indoor location services
- indoor spatial analytics
- smart indoor environments
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