Context
What is Pathfinder?
Pathfinder is an indoor navigation system built for the SKIL2 project in semester 1 at Thomas More Geel. The core challenge: GPS doesn't work indoors, so how do you guide someone through a building? The answer is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) triangulation.
By placing multiple BLE beacons throughout a building and measuring the signal strength each one receives, the system can calculate a user's real-time position and guide them to their destination. Think of it as indoor GPS.
What was built
The Realisation
- BLE triangulation engine using 5 beacons for real-time indoor positioning based on signal strength.
- AI navigation assistant powered by Gemini API for natural language guidance and step-by-step directions.
- Live admin dashboard providing full visibility of beacon statuses, health checks, and system uptime.
- Python backend handling positioning logic, beacon communication, and API integrations.
Lessons learned
What I Learned
- How BLE signal triangulation works in practice and the challenges of signal noise in real environments.
- Integrating third-party AI APIs (Gemini) into a Python application.
- Building a real-time monitoring dashboard with live data updates.
- Working in a team with clear task division, version control, and communication.