ArcGIS IPS is an indoor positioning system extension that provides geolocation for a wide variety of indoor location uses. With ArcGIS IPS, your indoor location is displayed with a location indicator on an indoor map. You can navigate to people, places, and assets inside a facility in real time. With the integration of the indoor positioning system into an ArcGIS system, ArcGIS users can improve their operational efficiency by making better-informed decisions.
To use ArcGIS IPS, you need ArcGIS Pro to create the ArcGIS IPS Data Model and floor plan data and to publish an Indoor Positioning Data Service from an indoor positioning dataset. You also need an ArcGIS organization on ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Online to host shared data.
To enable indoor positioning for a facility, you must first survey the facility to collect data about indoor spaces and use the Generate Indoor Positioning Dataset tool to create positioning data from the collected survey data. Alternatively, you can use the Generate Indoor Positioning Dataset tool to create positioning data using beacons and walls data from your ArcGIS IPS environment to enable positioning. If the network (beacons) and environment (walls) data is not precise, the recommended approach is to use ArcGIS IPS Setup to plan survey paths or use existing ones to perform survey recordings inside facilities and sites to collect location data. You can then upload recordings from the IPS Setup app to an ArcGIS organization and use them to create an Indoor Positioning Data Service.
To configure an indoor positioning system using IPS Setup, complete the following steps:
- Configure the ArcGIS organization for ArcGIS IPS on Enterprise or ArcGIS Online.
- Complete the prerequisites to create data that conforms to the ArcGIS IPS Information Model, and curate floor plan data for use with the app.
- In ArcGIS Pro, prepare a map for use with the IPS Setup app.
- Optionally, if you are planning to perform surveys, create survey paths in ArcGIS Pro.
If you are using the survey-less method of the Generate Indoor Positioning Dataset tool, skip this step and proceed to the next step.
- Share the map as an editable web map to your ArcGIS organization.
- Open the web map in the IPS Setup app.
- Perform surveys to generate indoor positioning data.
If you are using beacons and walls data from your ArcGIS IPS environment to create an Indoor Positioning Dataset without performing surveys, skip this step and proceed to the next step.
- Test the indoor positioning system in the ArcGIS IPS Setup app.
- Enable the indoor positioning system in mobile apps.
Required software
One of the following is required:
- ArcGIS Enterprise for a portal connection
- An ArcGIS Online organization
Required hardware
ArcGIS IPS uses your facility’s existing network infrastructure and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to provide real-time indoor location information. For optimal performance, the following BLE configuration is recommended:
- Set the transmission protocol to iBeacon.
- Set the transmission frequency to 350 ms, or a value close to it.
- Set the transmission power level to 16 dBm or set RSSI@1m to -81, or a value close to it.
Note:
Customized configurations can also be used. Certain environmental conditions, such as the physical characteristics of indoor spaces and unusually noisy radio environments, may require adjustments to beacon network settings to achieve optimal results.
The following BLE beacon providers have been verified for use with ArcGIS IPS:
- Kontakt.io (Anchor Beacon 2)—Verified in 2017
- Minew (MBM03 Rugged Road Stud Beacon)—Verified in February 2023
- Gimbal (Series 22 Beacon)—Verified in February 2023
- PoleStar (NAO BlueSpot v4 Indoor & Rugged)—Verified in July 2022
- Blue Charm (Water-Resistant Bluetooth BLE Beacon (BC063B))—Verified in November 2022
Caution:
If the beacon that you want to use is not listed above, it is recommended that you verify the compatibility of the beacons before deployment. Any BLE beacon that supports the iBeacon protocol may be compatible; however, some beacons may not perform as well as others. For example, some beacons may not support the recommended transmission frequency and power levels required for use with ArcGIS IPS.