AKRON — You know the future is now when your cell phone can help you get around inside a building.
The technology so many of us rely on behind the wheel is a welcome addition at one medical facility in Northeast Ohio.
We often use GPS to get to where we are going, but once we get inside it can’t take us any further.
Now a Beachwood software company is helping fill that void and helping people get from point A to point B.
"Nobody uses physical maps anymore outside and the same is going to happen with indoors," said Mark Jowell, Logic Junction CEO.
It's already a reality in the halls of Akron City Hospital.
"You'll have a directory, you can also search for your destination," said Mike Drozda, Logic Junction.
The massive health care complex, with a footprint of 1.2 million square feet, is now a little easier to navigate.
"In large organizations people get lost, and when they get lost they get stressed," said Jowell.
The new Way Finding app from Logic Junction works just like the GPS systems we use while driving.
"The dot updates and gives you turn-by-turn guidance,” said Drozda.
Instead of using satellites, this system uses a building's magnetic footprint, along with sensors inside our smart phones to track a person's position inside.
"We strive for the highest level of accuracy, keeping the blue dot within about 5-feet of where you are throughout your entire route," said Drozda.
For those who are less tech savvy, there are ten kiosks that allow you to print directions.
"You can even email them to your phone and you can look at those directions there," said David Custodio.
With the addition of a west tower later this year, the Akron City Hospital complex is growing yet again.
"When you're with a loved one or you're the patient themselves under stress and not feeling well it can be overwhelming at times," said Custodio.
This technology is expected to make the transition to an upgraded main entrance a little easier.
"That new front door, the new floors and new departments, this way finding is going to be key to our success," said Custodio.
While it may seem like magic now, the team at Logic Junction told News 5 that moving forward it's going to be an expectation.
"We'll continue to maintain a strong focus on healthcare, but the technology is definitely applicable to any complex building that you're going to be in," said Drozda.
