GATE: graph attention neural networks with real-time edge construction for robust indoor localization using mobile embedded devices

Abstract

Accurate indoor localization is crucial for enabling spatial context in smart environments and navigation systems. Wi-Fi Received Signal Strength (RSS) fingerprinting is a widely used indoor localization approach due to its compatibility with mobile embedded devices. Deep Learning (DL) models improve accuracy in localization tasks by learning RSS variations across locations, but they assume fingerprint vectors exist in a Euclidean space, failing to incorporate spatial relationships and the non-uniform distribution of real-world RSS noise. This results in poor generalization across heterogeneous mobile devices, where variations in hardware and signal processing distort RSS readings. Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) can improve upon conventional DL models by encoding indoor locations as nodes and modeling their spatial and signal relationships as edges. However, GNNs struggle with non-Euclidean noise distributions and suffer from the GNN blind spot problem, leading to degraded accuracy in environments with dense access points (APs). To address these challenges, we propose GATE, a novel framework that constructs an adaptive graph representation of fingerprint vectors while preserving an indoor state-space topology, modeling the non-Euclidean structure of RSS noise to mitigate environmental noise and address device heterogeneity. GATE introduces (1) a novel Attention Hyperspace Vector (AHV) for enhanced message passing, (2) a novel Multi-Dimensional Hyperspace Vector (MDHV) to mitigate the GNN blind spot, and (3) a new Real-Time Edge Construction (RTEC) approach for dynamic graph adaptation. Extensive real-world evaluations across multiple indoor spaces with varying path lengths, AP densities, and heterogeneous devices demonstrate that GATE achieves 1.6 × to 4.72 × lower mean localization errors and 1.85 × to 4.57 × lower worst-case errors compared with state-of-the-art indoor localization frameworks.