Indoor Mapping Technology Advances but Coverage Gaps Remain
When we talk about mapping at Geo Week News, our focus is generally on larger scopes, taking in data from satellites or other aerial systems, and then supplemented by laser scanning for finer detail in certain areas. Just last month, Esri’s annual User Conference brought together mapping professionals from around the world who were sharing…
When we talk about mapping at Geo Week News, our focus is generally on larger scopes, taking in data from satellites or other aerial systems, and then supplemented by laser scanning for finer detail in certain areas. Just last month, Esri’s annual User Conference brought together mapping professionals from around the world who were sharing their work, the vast majority of which fit right into this category. This work is, of course, critically important for our understanding of the world around us and the trends that will define challenges facing future generations.
More recently, however, a smaller-scale but still very important type of mapping has started to emerge across larger platforms: Indoor mapping. While the indoor mapping of a facility or campus isn’t going to play a large role in shaping the future of cities or how to fight climate change, there is critical work that can be done with this data. Until recently, though, it was far easier said than done to gain access to this information, and if you did it was likely at a high level. Today, we’ll look at some of the growth in this area, how these maps are being built, and why they can be so valuable.
As noted, the biggest companies in the mapping world make indoor maps available for developers, and those tools have improved in recent years. When we talk about the biggest mapping companies, that of course starts with Google and Apple, each of which has an indoor product. Google’s has been around for over a decade at this point, to be fair, while Apple’s was introduced less than a decade ago. Moving away from those massive companies, OpenStreetMap also has indoor mapping capabilities for their users, bringing a crowd-sourced aspect to these maps.
Right now, these maps exist for the kinds of places one might expect. Airports have been a popular location to take advantage of these tools, which makes sense given the number of people who come through every day, often for the first time. Some retail companies, particularly wholesale stores that tend to be larger, or malls, have also added these capabilities to apps and other systems to make the customer experience more pleasant. Some public spaces, like transportation hubs, as well as private hospital and university campuses have added an extra layer of granularity with these indoor maps.
Despite this growing availability, significant gaps remain in indoor mapping coverage. Many everyday locations, such as schools, smaller public buildings like libraries, and government offices, often lack detailed indoor maps accessible to the public. Privacy and security concerns are a primary barrier for this, especially for facilities handling sensitive information or vulnerable populations. Additionally, the cost and effort required to create and maintain accurate indoor maps can be prohibitive, particularly for smaller organizations without dedicated resources or communities outside of major urban areas. Unlike outdoor mapping, there’s no widespread mandate or incentive to publicly share indoor layouts, which means much of this data remains locked away or simply doesn’t exist in a usable digital format.
Creating these indoor maps can involve a variety of different technologies and techniques, any of which can be used depending on the type of facility and available resources. Some organizations rely on importing existing 2D CAD drawings or architectural blueprints, which can be relatively straightforward but often lack the up-to-date accuracy needed for real-world use cases. More advanced methods use reality capture to capture highly detailed and accurate spatial data. Both Google and Apple provide submission tools and standards that help streamline the process for developers and building owners. Still, despite these advances, creating and maintaining up-to-date indoor maps remains a technically demanding and resource-intensive task.
As we look ahead, we can expect indoor mapping to be a bigger part of our technological usage, probably driven at least partially by augmented reality. Google’s Live View and Apple’s Vision Pro are early glimpses into how AR could overlay navigation cues inside complex buildings, enhancing user experience beyond traditional map interfaces. As AR-powered glasses such as those being developed by Meta, among others, continue to improve, one can envision this use case being even more common.
Indoor mapping’s value extends beyond simple convenience, playing a critical role in public safety and emergency response. Accurate and up-to-date layouts can help first responders navigate unfamiliar buildings quickly, guide people to safe exits during evacuations, and support emergency planning for large facilities and public venues. As these tools become more widespread and accessible, they have the potential to save lives by ensuring that vital spatial information is available when seconds matter most.
