Location-aware visualization of VRML models in indoor locationtracking system

Abstract

For many applications particularly in navigation system, a three-dimensional representation improves the usability of information. This paper introduces 3D Graphical User Interface (GUI) of indoor location tracking system, 3D Navigation View. The application provides users a 3D visualization of the indoor environments they are exploring, synchronized with the physical world through spatial information obtained from indoor location tracking system. It adopts widely used Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) to construct, represent, distribute and render 3D world of indoor environments over Internet. Java, an all-purpose programming language is integrated to comprehend spatial information received from indoor location tracking system. Both are connected through an interface called External Authoring Interface (EAI) provided by VRML. Via EAI, Java is given the authority to access and manipulate the 3D objects inside the 3D world that facilitates the indication of user's position and viewpoint in the constructed virtual indoor environments periodically.