Tag: indoor positioning

The world biggest cruise ship “Wonder Of The Seas” has more than 2800 rooms and accommodates more than 6900 people. Wonder of the Seas measures 1,188 feet (362 m) in length and has a gross tonnage of 236,857 across all 18 decks. Since all rooms and activities are compactly together on cruise ships, it is necessary for people to have all the information on important activities and locations. Indoor positioning on cruise ships is an important comfort for the passengers. We present to you the indoor positioning solution for a cruise ship created by 3D Wayfinder.

So far 3D Wayfinder has been used with a simple 2D map for small cruise ship. The ship has a total of 17 floors and around 1000 rooms. Below you see excerpts from five different floors.

Cruise ships have many different leisure options. As you could see on the photo, there are pools, saunas, a theatre, different shops, kids playground and many more. If you are going to be spending time on a cruise ship, it is very important to know where the different rooms and areas are from the very beginning.

Using GPS on metal vessels is difficult. Indoor positioning on cruise ships can be organized using iBeacons, WIFI or QR code that can be opened through a web browser. 3D Wayfinder has used all the proposed solutions and we know exactly how to build the system in a way that would be the most suitable for the customer.

Digital maps on cruise ships

On large ships there is a high risk of getting lost. Therefore, it is important to have interactive maps in various places on the ship. 3D Wayfinder map shows the route to the desired location with a red line. In comparison to regular printed maps, digital maps significantly reduce the time it takes to search for a location. On regular maps, it is very difficult to determine your location and then understand where you want to go.

Easily updated information boards in the elevators

In addition to the possibility of finding the location, 3D Wayfinder also offers information boards that can be installed in the elevator. Information about events on the cruise ship can be added to the screens. You can also share information about meal times and the use of other important services, which is necessary for all visitors. In addition, it is very easy for employees to exchange information on the screens.

Digital maps on a cruise ships as billboards

Most people do a lot of shopping on cruise ships as cruise ships often have better prices than regular shopping centers. In order for different shops to advertise their goods, it is possible to add advertisements to the map. This can be a good way to attract people to the store. In addition to shops, services like spa could also be advertised in a kiosk. For example, additional information could be added to the location and people could view the spa services and price list without them having to go to the spa in person.

In the world of entertainment, it is important to stand out and offer customers all the comforts possible. And one of the great conveniences for visitors is certainly a practical navigation service. If you are interested in the services offered by 3D Wayfinder, please contact our sales department.

ISE 2023 Expo is probably most important technology expo in Europe. This year it was biggest yet. ISE 2023 attracted 58,107 unique attendees from 155 countries, making 133,606 visits to the show floor. Especially busy was Multi-Technology hall. There we had most fun meeting companies too. Special thanks goes to for citizens of Barcelona. Even with limited English they left to us superb expression. We were pleased that the event was in city where people are kind and helpful for the first time visitors.

ISE 2023 Expo organization

ISE 2023 Expo experience is that was really well organized Expo. There were large halls and easy to access booths. The catering was also very well organized and managed. We saw some very unique solutions. Especially interesting was 4K LED screens with IR touch. Making it suitable to use in interactive digital signage and 2D or 3D wayfinding solutions.

In two days we when we visited expo, we got a lot of positive feedback for our software. Companies were most interested in our 3D maps that we have built for indoor navigation. Some of the companies we visited needs to be highlight also in our blog.

Nice meetings at the event

With representatives of Cisco we quickly found a common topic of conversation. We talked about smart rooms and today’s business environment. We understood in that moment how right our direction has been for years. Also especially happy to see that we have yet to offer more opportunities then international corporations like Cisco can do. This motivates us to keep working hard.

Highly interested meeting we had was with BrightSign. Their digital signage players were interesting that can be potentially used for our software. We talked about to give better hardware tools for our clients. Especially interested us plug and play solution. Also it may be solution for our clients, who have little experience with digital signage and players for interactive screens. If everything goes well then we will have also hardware for our clients that is reliable with good price range.

We also visited booths of Clebex and Telelogos. Both are big IT companies and with very interesting field. They are definitely worth to explore. We started of right a way with productive talks and of course our topic was about potential of 3D Wayfinding. 3D Wayfinder software gives additional tools build powerful business solutions for end-clients!

Interactive displays manufactures at ISE

We got new and interesting knowledge in Chinese display manufacturer HCTek. Interactive displays is what future holds. HCTec is large interactive display manufacturer providing OEM, ODM and OTM solutions. Many well known display brands get their interactive displays from that factory. For us it was important to know what future brings. Talking was very productive and we had good laughs and took picture!

Then we met LED manufacturer AOTO. In our talks we covered many aspects of today digital signage market directions. Also we both agreed that future will be LED. Especially in indoor and outdoor digital signage field. We were also invited to their 30th anniversary celebrations to Happy Hour.

Our sales director Rainer Saar shared his experiences.

We have build many wayfinding solutions for hospitals. Hospitals have more options than refugee camps. Refugee camps are usually underfunded and over-crowded. This creates new set of challenges completely different to hospitals. Navigating refugee camps with 3D Wayfinder software is easy and avaible for everyone who have smartphone. Read more about wayfinding software for refugee camps.

First you can not set up self-service touch kiosks in refugee camp. Because it is expensive and easy to vandalize. Traditional maps can be confusing and difficult to position yourself there. Our team has discussed this a lot. Especially now, when we have crisis in Ukraine. More than 3 million people have escaped Ukraine mainly through Poland.

Luckily smartphone prices have gone down in last 5 years and are wildly used even rural conflict areas. It is not uncommon to see at least one refugee family member with smartphone. This one piece of technology is what we can use to refugee advantage in these large camps.

3D Wayfinder software is HTML-based so any smart device is more than enough to use it. We have developed easy to use QR code based solution to position your self inside the camps and our software guides you to needed destination. QR is cheap and if there is no need for investments on touch screens/self-servicing kiosks it will bring price down significantly for organizations that manage these refugee camps.

QR-code based wayfinding software for refugee camps

The idea itself is simple, organizations provide refugees on camps with Wifi or 4G through local telecom service providers. Tents are given code/name and provided with QR code stickers. Refugee scans it to open software and automatically positioning them self. Then selecting via search or from list the tents code/name and get live direction to their destination. Vital location are highlighted for quick selecting in software. If they still get lost they can scan near by tents QR code and get new direction from there. We can provide 2D maps of the area and tents through aerial photos. It reduces the human labor to map the camp on site. This solutions is still under development and all ideas to improve it are warmly welcome!

Let us build better future for us in cities and for people who are forced to be refugees!

It is obvious that the economy is currently in a downward trend. More and more questions rise in this regard. How can we save money and energy? Globally, more and more people are talking about saving energy. This is definitely one place where different service companies could save. In addition to energy savings, financial savings are also important. By using the 3D Wayfinder software, it is also possible to save money quite realistically.

We have previously introduced you how to earn revenue with wayfinder software, in this post we will talk about how to save through the wayfinding software.

Certainly, many shopping center managers notice that purchasing power is decreasing. The global economic recession is mainly to blame for this. When the economy is booming, people shop more and spend more money. When the economy is down, people think more carefully about where they spend their money. Might be that some people even deliberately distance themselves from shopping malls so as not to make reckless spending.

Save on labor costs

The biggest cost savings comes from labor costs. Have you thought that there is an employee in your company or institution whose work could be done by some software? For example, there are often information workers in various office buildings, shopping centers or airports. What role do the employees at the information desk mainly play? Most of the time they guide people. People use information boards to find a way to store or special room. By using the 3D Wayfinder, it would be possible to save on the salary costs of one or even several information/help workers. This is probably one big and thought-provoking place where you can cut costs with wayfinding software.

Save money by reducing printed signs

In public buildings one of the administrative expenses is certainly different signs. Business signs must be changed when someone moves out or joins. 3D Wayfinder can also help here. Using wayfinding software reduces needs for different signs and printed floorplans. Building directories and maps can be digital and can be changed without the need for printing and changing physical signs. It is even possible to install digital screens in elevators.

Using digital wayfinding also helps to save on administrative costs. In addition, it is easier for the administrative manager of the building to change tenant or rental information in one place digitally than replacing installed physical signs.

Less energy with sleep mode

One of the ways to save energy is forcing wayfinding kiosks to go to sleep mode. Sleep mode is a widely known term and probably everyone who uses a computer or smartphone is familiar with it. It is possible that many 3D wayfinder customers may not know that sleep mode can also be set for wayfinding kiosks. When there is no activity in the building and the doors are locked, the wayfinding kiosk can also be in sleep mode.

Sleep mode can also be used when the building is open. The kiosk can be set in such a way that the screen is completely dark or, for example, with the text “Click here for building map” etc. when no one is using the kiosk. When a person touches the screen, the screen becomes active and can be used.

Save with dark mode

How else would it be possible to save with wayfinder software? One of the ways to save energy could also be using dark mode. At wayfinding kiosks, it is possible to set the screen light to be brighter and darker. Darker screen use less energy.

The difference between the two images is quite large and can be startling when compared like this. In addition to saving energy, it is also better for the eyes. In any case, the customer receives the information in exactly the same way as if it were on a screen with full brightness.

3D Wayfinder offers the possibility to set the display of the kiosk in time. For example, it is possible to set the time when the screen goes into dark mode. It is also possible to set the screen based on the surrounding light. For example, if the lighting in the building is bright or the sun is shining, the screen will be brighter. If the lighting is darker, the screen will also automatically darken. Dark mode saving is easy way fot cut costs with wayfinding software.

There is also an option to use a different background color. You can choose the background colors for building maps in 3D Wayfinder. If you want to save energy, it would be wise to use a darker background. If the card has a darker background, it saves more energy because the screen doesn’t have to be so bright. Also, a darker background can sometimes work even better. On a darker background, it’s better to highlight some objects that don’t come out as smooth on a light background. This is an option that should be considered when starting to order a house manager or create one yourself.

Smart wayfinding

Do you know that 3D Wayfinder indoor positioning software using smart wayfinding technology?

Smart wayfinding is easy. The person who makes 3D Wayfinder map can choose how they want the path to be guided. For example, it is possible to guide the way that elevators are avoided. Moving the elevators up and down is probably also a big administrative expense. However, if people are guided so that they are directed to the stairs, it is possible to regulate the use of elevators.

3D Wayfinder supports energy saving. We support saving people’s time by providing innovative wayfinding software. We are environmentally friendly and recommend it to all our customers. If you are already using 3D Wayfinder you can change settings for saving energy or ask help from our team. If you are not yet using wayfinding software, then please contact our sales department. We will definitely find the best solution for you and help you cut costs with wayfinding software.

The summer is over, yet 3 Wayfinder has really warm news for you. Old or new clients it doesn’t matter our great offer is for all of you. Planning indoor positioning and navigation projects? Then this the right time to get 3D wayfinder map for free, lower your project cost or as resellers you can earn more profit!

Free 3D map campaign started at 3^rd of Nov. and lasts till 24^th of Dets. 2022.

Free 3D map campaign conditions:

When you order full solution from 3D Wayfinder you will get free map development up to 50-150 rooms depending on detail levels you are interested in. This could be entire mall first or first and second floor. It depends of course mall size but it gives understanding how much of 3D modelling work you will get completely free.

To apply discount: you need to order standard solution that includes software lifetime licenses, kiosk UI template/custom design, data entry and 2D | 3D Lite | 3 Standard map.

2D map is up to 150 rooms for free;

3D Lite map is up to 100 rooms for free;

3D Standard is up to 50 rooms for free;

Check out our 3D Lite detail levels HERE

How much will we save if we order free 2D or 3D map?

Additional information that is useful to learn

Our hardware needs you can find HERE! 3D Lite and 3D Standard maps need more powerful hardware than 2D maps. So make sure you use right players in your kiosks!

back your investment, shortly about 3D Wayfinder powerful advertising module HERE We make sure you have all the tools to earn back all your investment. Especially useful for malls and business centers were a lot of brands and offices are located.

Looking to get walkthrough for our DEMO?

Contact us at sales@3dwayfinder.com

In the previous post, we introduced different styles of modeling and designing 3D Wayfinder maps. It is clear that exclusive buildings need a premium wayfinder solutions. In today’s post, we will talk about exclusive premium wayfinding solutions and special kiosk designs. Wayfinder kiosks do not always have to have a modest appearance and design.

Wayfinder kiosk

Crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, marble floors and glass walls. Many shopping centers have this kind of interior design. Also, many commercial buildings or hotels have a more special and luxurious interior design. If the interior design of the building is characteristic of a high class, it is important that every detail fits together. Therefore, the kiosks must also have a luxurious and beautiful design.

Kiosk designs may vary. For example, it is possible to decorate the kiosk with crystals or golden details. There can also be different materials from which the kiosk is made.

In the pictures you see a close-up of the kiosk app. You see golden design and a complex map.

Kiosks in Lõunakeskus are made of wood. Kiosk is designed following shopping center interior and brand design. Finally, a beautiful wooden solution is ready, which fits with the interior and is user-friendly.
Estonian National Museum kiosk is made of glass. Kiosk has a metal frame, that supports the 8 mm tempered glass and holds the touch screen and computer hardware. Also it has a special “window” for looking at kiosk´s “heart”.

Premium Wayfinder solutions

Small details make a 3D map especially luxurious. If you have a commercial building and want to impress your customers, we recommend ordering a particularly detailed map. The premium 3D map designs are suitable for buildings with a luxurious interior design. Detailed 3D maps are also suitable for expensive hotels or institutions visited by wealthier people. Detailed map of the building makes an impression in any case.

In the picture you see 3D relistic and detailed model of the Viru center. The flags, ornamental bushes and sculpture in front of the center have been drawn. For example, it is not possible to display such a sculpture realistically with a 2D map. Also, the exterior facade is as real as possible, and on closer inspection you can see transparent windows. This is premium detail. All exclusive buildings could have similar models.

It is also possible to create a First person view wayfinder solution. The post shows one of the shopping malls in Oman. A 3D map drawn in detail looks good and it is especially useful for showing path in camera view (First Person View known from computer games). Such models affect positively the customer experience. Especially if it is possible to find favorite stores and special offers in the shopping center with the help of 3D wayfinder. It imitates persons point of view. The first person view house manager solution is definitely one of the premium feature that a luxury building needs.

You can order a detailed and beautiful 3D map from us. In this case, our team of specialists will prepare you a gorgeous and detailed 3D map solution that will impress all your customers. Also, tell us all your wishes regarding the design of the kiosk and we will find the best solution together.

We have all seen QR codes in product labels, marketing ads, on business cards, in logistic labels, self service solutions and many other places. Today you can even get it free on online platforms like QR Code-Monkey . But did you know that QR code is very handy in indoor tracking and wayfinder software?

Here are five ways we can apply QR code to make life easier for end users:

1. QR code helps you avoid viruses!

QR code scan allows to use indoor positioning software on your phone with out need to touch kiosk glass. This option is in use especially in healthcare industry. It is easier for older people as well, as you do not need to download anything to your smartphone. After scanning QR code you can open HTML page with map and use it like on self-service kiosk but on your phone. And there is no fear that you can catch viruses by touching public use self-service kiosks.

2. QR code on 2D & 3D wayfinder software UI!

Self-service kiosks are often pricey and placing it in every floor is out of the question. This is especially case in big hotels, hospitals and universities with more than 5 floors. Even departments stores like to use this option for their visitors and they have self-service kiosk on every floor. Placing QR code on kiosk UI then visitors can easily scan it and carry on their journey with map on phone. There is no need to find another digital signage stand, you have it now on your smartphone. When done, you can easily close HTML page and no software stays on your phone.

3. QR solution for city blocks or old town map!

I understand, first question is: “but everyone can use Google maps?”. Yes of course, it is absolutely an option. But there are time when city or business centers with multiple buildings want more customized solution. This allows to use unique design and better search option, for example tourist attractions. When outdoor self service kiosk can be vandalized or climate is not very welcoming for hardware then QR code can be user proof solution. Then tourist can scan QR code from printed outdoor city maps and get map to phone. Outdoor we can use GPS tracking and get live movement on software making it like customized Google maps.

4. QR code with native app!

Using QR solutions and ibeacons with native app gives a lot more option. iBeacons gives you live movement on map, knowing exactly where visitors are positioned. For example, if we cover parking lots with QR codes, then client can save their location and app remembers your location. After shopping you can get direction back to your car with out hassle. You might think: “But I have never seen this anywhere”. In reality, it is used extensively in Middle-Eastern countries where department stores are huge. You can apply this practice in many other sector, for example in healthcare. To find a way in hospitals you scan QR code, specially made for specific floor and hospital wing. Scan it, get your location and find quickly way to next doctor cabinet. Same way you can apply it in larger business centers.

5. QR code inside indoor positioning software!

Indoor positioning software is not a place you put extended information of companies and stores. Simply, people just use kiosks for direction, read quick intro or look when businesses or stores are open. In this case it is good option to use QR code to give extra information or listed company e-store link. If store is closed, visitor can still check kiosk and scan QR code to open e-store link on smartphone and save it for later purchase.

You have QR code project in mind or idea but not sure id it can be done.

Contact us or get a quote from us we will find just right solution for you!

3D Wayfinder team.

We see more and more development in robotics and machine learning. It raises the question how wayfinding software and services can be used in the future. Robots can be very helpful for visitors. Especially if we take into account older, disabled, or people in wheelchairs. Will robots help you indoor wayfinding in the future?

Today we can already see many robots in the military and in rescue. Additionally, we see great development in the service industry like in bartenders and chefs in kitchens. LG has become a significant robot developer in the service industry with their CLOi guidebot.

In Baltics, Hansab has their version of a service robot called Pepper. China is doing a lot of work in robotics as well, one company for example is Suzhou Pangolin Robot Co.,Ltd or Csjbot. This shows that robots are slowly but firmly entering to our everyday life.

How can robots or guide bots help with indoor wayfinding?

There are several ways how to apply robots in wayfinding:

1. Robot is moving around the mall, public space, hospitals, or university. Any person who’s lost can ask floor map and directions or perform additional tasks on the robot/bot touch screen.

2. Visitor can scan a printed QR code to ask the robot to guide them to the final destination. Scanning the QR code after that robot arrives at the visitor’s location and guides him/her to the desired location. This is especially useful for visitors who are older people, disabled, or in wheelchairs. For them using self-service kiosks might be harder to do.

3. In hospitals doctors move between different rooms and services might locate even in different buildings. Robots can guide patients to the right doctor or help to find their way to the right services. Robots can be signed to one patient or for group to help and guide them. For example, after a doctor’s check-up clients can ask for directions on-screen or ask the robot to guide them all the way to a blood test and after that to X-ray. We all know how big hospitals can be, even people with a good sense of direction can be lost sometimes.

Do you have experience or ideas on how to apply robotics to wayfinding? We are happy to know your thoughts in the comment section!

Want to learn more about our software, contact us here!

3D Wayfinder team

3D Wayfinder uses a in-house built JavaScript Keyboard for search input. A On Screen Keyboard (Keyboard later on) is used when there is no physical keyboard. For security and ease of use reasons we can’t use the Operating Systems builtin Keyboard.

Previously we used our own User Interface library to manage the state of our applications. But times have moved on and we are now using other more popular and powerful open source libraries like AngularJS and VueJS. We managed to use the old Keyboard also with these libraries. But it wasn’t very handy and meant that we had to import libraries that were not necessary for whole project (eg jQuery).

So we decided to get free of 3rd party libraries and make it easy to install via npm (nodejs package manager).

Our On Screen Keyboard is usable with any UI library that supports importing ES6 module formats. You can define Your own keyboard layouts and actions with a JSON layout file. So we can have any language that we ever need and also make also fully custom keyboards that only a number pad or have special buttons for custom actions. Also the Keyboard itself allows to switch the layout.

Check out the GitHub page.

For the past few months we have been working on making content management system better and more user-friendly. There is a constant work on fixing bugs and but with this blog post we are ready to introduce you a few updates that make using our CMS easier.

1. Adding a new POI directly from editor.

Before it was necessary to add every POI under “Locations” section but with our latest update it is possible to do it directly in the map editor. Just choose the desired POI, click on “Edit” and from section opening on the right just click “Create new”. Simple as that!

2. Hiding/showing mesh

With some models it used to be quite a time-consuming work to get the nodes in their right positions. Sometimes node appeared on the mesh and therefore it was needed to move them downwards manually. With our latest updates it makes removing mesh easy and fast. Just select the mesh you would like hide and click on “Hide mesh”. No more manual work!

3. Connecting nodes on different floors

It used to be complicated to connect nodes on different floors due to different possibilities of stairs, escalators, elevators etc. Luckily we have removed that problem and added a pop-up box when the user tries to take the path from one floor to another.

There will be some more updates coming soon! We will let you know more on that in our next blog post.