The app (created and maintained by Esri Inc.) is freely available to everyone. Your MacID and MacID password are needed to use McMaster’s ArcGIS Indoors wayfinding functionality. See the ‘Getting Started’ page to learn more.

Yes! Navigation for all outdoor destinations is included in the application so you can navigate to any campus destination. Indoor navigation during the pilot phase of the project is only available in the following locations: Peter George Centre for Living and Learning, Togo Salmon Hall, DeGroote School of Business, CNH (1st floor) and basement of the Arts Quad (‘the tunnels’ of GH, CNH, TSH, KTH and DSB).

Absolutely! ArcGIS Indoors is available for most recent Android and iOS-based phones. A comprehensive list of supported devices is available on the ‘Download’ page.

Beacons do not drain your phone’s battery. Beacons are running on Bluetooth Low Energy, which is highly energy efficient and therefore will not have a significant impact on battery status.

Yes! To use the accessible routes functionality, simply choose the accessibility symbol in the mobile app.

ArcGIS Indoors uses a Text-to-speech system to give directions in audio. The voice output provides information on how far you must travel until your next route change and gives spoken instructions — these commands simply mirror the route indicators on your navigation screen.

The ArcGIS application features outdoor and indoor nvigation that can guide you to campus destinations quickly.

Indoor positioning systems (IPS) enable locating the position of objects or people within buildings. Since GPS is unreliable in interior spaces because there is no visual contact with the GPS satellites, an IPS (indoor positioning system) must use other positioning methods. McMaster University has used a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon and ArcGIS Suite of software to implement this solution.

Faculty, students, and employees will be able to use McMaster University Indoor navigation system to find classrooms, washrooms, lecture halls, accessible pathways, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, dining locations and many other useful points of interests.

Indoor positioning systems (IPS) enable locating the position of objects or people within buildings. Since GPS is unreliable in interior spaces because there is no visual contact with the GPS satellites (no bars), an IPS (indoor positioning system) must use other positioning methods. McMaster University has uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons and the ArcGIS Suite of software to overcome this challenge.

BLE Beacons are small radio transmitter’s sending out Bluetooth signals to mobile devices in their vicinity. Beacons transmit information about their position. These radio signals have a unique ID number and are sent out in regular intervals. Mobile devices in a Beacon’s vicinity can pick up these signals and use them as an indicator for their own location.

ArcGIS Indoors is an indoor positioning application that lets people locate themselves inside a building in real time. Like GPS in outdoor maps, IPS puts a blue dot on indoor maps. IPS uses location services and Bluetooth LE beacons to help people navigate to any point of interest or destination. This empowers students, staff, instructors, and campus visitors to better navigate and collaborate within buildings.

Beacon-based infrastructure relies on the fact that all modern mobile phones have Bluetooth and are designed to work with location services. The user will need to download an indoor wayfinding app, ArcGIS Indoors, which is made available through the Apple Store and Google Play. The app then uses the phone’s built-in Bluetooth to triangulate off of beacons set up in various campus buildings. The exact accuracy of the triangulation will depend on the number of Beacons within range of Bluetooth and can vary depending on devices and environmental factors.

McMaster University will not be able to view or access any location information. Blue Dot information (location) is local to the mobile phone it is being used on and is not accessible by any other device, party or application. Esri Inc. does not store or retain any information regarding a user’s location.

No user information is collected or stored in this application. Only you, the end user, is able to view your location real time on your device.

There are two technologies being used to enable indoor wayfinding and blue dot navigation. The Bluetooth beacons do not store any data on any beacon devices. They are not equipped to retain any information on the device. Blue Dot information is local to the mobile phone it is being used on. The ArcGIS Application is not designed or configured to store any location information in the application. For more details on Esri Inc. Software Privacy please visit ArcGIS.