Mapxus and footpath.ai Complete Successful Indoor-Outdoor Navigation Proof of Concept at UNSW Campus

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of a seamless indoor-outdoor navigation Proof of Concept (PoC) at the UNSW Kensington campus in Sydney, Australia, conducted in partnership with footpath.ai (a UNSW technology spin-out) and supported by ASID Ventures.

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The Challenge: Navigating Complex Public Spaces

Navigating large, multi-building environments like university campuses often presents challenges for visitors, students, and staff. Traditional GPS does not function indoors, and finding accessible, step-free routes can be difficult, leading to delays and frustration.

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Bridging Two Worlds: A Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Solution

This Proof of Concept (PoC) was designed to deliver a truly seamless and accessible indoor-outdoor navigation experience for university campuses. The project integrated two distinct technologies into one unified solution:

• Mapxus provided advanced indoor mapping and positioning technology, which creates precise, hardware-free digital twin maps by utilizing a venue's existing Wi-Fi infrastructure.
• footpath.ai contributed their AI-driven pedestrian maps, which analyze street-level imagery to assess important details like footpath width, surface condition, and overall accessibility.
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The result of this integration was a comprehensive solution, accessible through both mobile and web applications, that delivered comprehensive point-of-interest (POI) searches and end-to-end navigation routes, including barrier-free paths.

By creating a seamless connection between footpath.ai's detailed outdoor data and Mapxus's precise indoor maps, we can significantly reduce the friction and uncertainty of navigating large, multi-level environments. This collaborative approach is designed to assist people of all abilities in navigating the campus with confidence.

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From the Project Leaders

Albert Lau, Smart City Specialist for Australia & NZ at Mapxus, stated: “This milestone brings us closer to our vision of contributing to Australia’s efforts to improve accessibility, leveraging Mapxus' international experience. At Mapxus, we believe in barrier-free access for everyone on campus.”

Dr. Meead Saberi, CEO at footpath.ai, added that the project demonstrates “how seamless outdoor-indoor navigation and wayfinding can be done in complex environments and opens up new business opportunities.”

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The approach tested at UNSW has potential for wider applications in other large-scale environments, such as transport hubs, hospitals, stadiums, and city centers, to help improve how people navigate complex public spaces.