Feasibility of RSS Measurements for Smartphone-Based Indoor Acoustic Localization

Mobile smartphones' potential for usage in innovative localization systems based on audio signal processing is limited due to a lack of technical specifications on audio input sensitivity in the upper limit of the audio range when the embedded microphone is considered as an acoustical sensor. Acoustical intensity may change with distance as well as rotation of the smartphone, however, there is a lack of information on essential characteristics of microphones implemented in smartphones. In this paper, tests are performed to investigate the feasibility of smartphones for acoustic localization. The objective was to evaluate the impact of the movement in a complex room on the RSS (Received Signal Strength) acoustic signal received by the smartphone. Experiments were performed under the worst-case scenario, in which both receiver and transmitter of acoustic signals were represented by smartphones.