DIINS : a domain independent information and navigation system

Abstract

A honeybee which has collected food, upon returning to its hive, will perform an impressive dance which is actually its way of communicating. It lets the other bees know the direction, relative to the sun, and distance of the food source. Such path-finding techniques have been used by animals long before the first human ever navigated his way accurately on land or sea. The scenario above is a perfect example of a Navigational Information Network, the bees which have acquired this information may now find the food source without any further guidance. In our everyday life we are constantly acquiring information, although it may not be as vital as locating food. The information society is evolving and the availability of information is on the increase. The introduction of the internet has helped this happen tremendously. This has also given rise to an increase in the demand for information, especially when it is available at a relevant time or location. Until recently information acquisition time was not a significant element, especially when costs of information were calculated. However information acquisition time factor has taken on greater significance nowadays. This has provided an incentive for the development of technologies to facilitate the minimum time costs [1 ]. Mobile devices are aiding to provide information when it is needed wherever it is needed. One of the main objectives of this project is to provide an organisation with the ability to set up a custom navigation system for a specific area, no matter how remote. This project will also provide the organisation with the ability to provide relevant information to its users when they need it.