Proximity Approach to Bluetooth Low Energy-Based Localization in Tunnels

Abstract

Smart cities and smart mobility necessitate the development of newly adapted approaches and applications that ensure data connection among their particular parts; thus, the complex systems of smart technologies can be applied. Especially in the field of transport, mobility, and smart solutions, many of these applications require precise localization. Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) localization is used mainly because of its availability, reliability, and sufficient precision. However, there are also blind spots in smart cities where the GNSS is not available, e.g., in tunnels. This article presents an approach to fixing the issue of localization in road tunnels based on telecommunications with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) based infrastructure equipment. This approach enables us to ensure sufficient data resources for localization, and thus, smart applications can also be applied in the tunnels. At the same time, this approach also allows the fulfillment of individual needs according to the specifications of each tunnel or smart application. The outputs from testing and measurements are presented and discussed.