3-D Indoor Localization and Identification Through RSSI-Based Angle of Arrival Estimation With Real Wi-Fi Signals

Abstract

A highly accurate 3-D indoor passive localization and identification system is presented in this article. The system can monitor various commercial Wi-Fi devices through the proposed received signal strength indicator (RSSI)-based angle of arrival (AoA) estimation technique. RSSI-based localization systems conventionally use additional assistance techniques, such as distance–RSSI calibration, fingerprint analysis, machine learning, and a widespread setup to achieve high accuracy. On the contrary, this proposed system can operate in complex environments full of scattering objects and obstructions without requiring any additional assistance techniques. The proposed technique uses a six-port network to evaluate the phase difference in the carrier waves of Wi-Fi signals without the influence of modulated signals. The network also preserves the modulated signals without the influence of the phase difference of the carrier waves such that Wi-Fi devices can be identified. Regarding practical applications, the system is designed to be capable of detecting devices through walls and thus can be hidden outside the monitored room. The experimental results indicate that in single-source localization, the average error is 0.089 m; in multiple-source localization, it is 0.354 m; and for seeing through the wall, it is 0.24 m. In the worst case scenario, the error is still smaller than 0.63 m. The accuracy in all the experimental results was found to be at the decimeter level. In summary, this study experimentally validated a 3-D indoor localization and identification system for diverse Wi-Fi devices in various environments.