RoughMaps: A generic platform to support symbolic map use in indoor environments

An important feature for many applications is the ability to support personalised and context-aware information delivery. User positioning and the use of maps are essential for this purpose. The RoughMaps platform accommodates the use of symbolic maps, which are often not-to-scale, non-linear, highly abstract in nature, and which often contain only the most salient and most relevant features of a map based on the immediate needs of a given user. This work describes the design, implementation, and validation of the RoughMaps research platform, for managing and retrieving contextually relevant symbolic maps for indoor positioning. This is to our knowledge one of the first platforms that focuses on the use of symbolic maps to support indoor positioning in personalised and context-aware mobile applications.