Direct Use of Indoor Point Clouds for Path Planning and Navigation Exploration in Emergency Situations

Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility of directly utilizing 3D indoor point clouds for real-time indoor navigation, particularly to enhance emergency response processes. Traditional indoor navigation research primarily focuses on creating navigation systems from pre-existing indoor models, resulting in a graph representation that simplifies spatial relationships, requires post-processing, and delivers results only afterwards, often overlooking real-time obstacles and complex layouts such as those in modern office floors. This research proposes an original approach by leveraging real-time generated 3D models using HoloLens 2 sensors, which combine RGB images and depth sensor output to create a comprehensive point cloud. The study explores path planning directly within these point clouds without the need for extensive preprocessing or segmentation, aiming to provide immediate navigation support with minimal delay. Utilizing the Rapidly Exploring Random Trees (RRT) algorithm, the research seeks to minimize preprocessing and swiftly visualize navigable paths, evaluating the system's performance in terms of processing time and path viability. This approach addresses the limitations of traditional graph-based methods and the challenges posed by outdated or unavailable indoor models, offering a promising solution for real-time emergency navigation assistance.