A survey on predicting personal mobility

Abstract

Purpose Location‐prediction enables the next generation of location‐based applications. The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical summary of research in personal location‐prediction. Location‐prediction began as a tool for network management, predicting the load on particular cellular towers or WiFi access points. With the increasing popularity of mobile devices, location‐prediction turned personal, predicting individuals' next locations given their current locations. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes an overview of prediction techniques and reviews several location‐prediction projects comparing the raw location data, feature extraction, choice of prediction algorithms and their results. Findings A new trend has emerged, that of employing additional context to improve or expand predictions. Incorporating temporal information enables location‐predictions farther out into the future. Appending place types or place names can improve predictions or develop prediction applications that could be used in any locale. Finally, the authors explore research into diverse types of context, such as people's personal contacts or health activities. Originality/value This overview provides a broad background for future research in prediction.