Abstract
This paper presents algorithms implemented for positioning a wheeled robot on a production floor inside a factory by means of radio-frequency distance measurement and trilateration techniques. A set of radio-frequency transceivers located on the columns of the factory (anchors) create a grid with several triangular zones capable of measuring the line-of-sight distance between each anchor and the transceiver installed in the wheeled robot. After measuring only three of these distances (radii), an enhanced trilateration algorithm is applied to obtain X and Y coordinates in a Cartesian plane, i.e., the position of the robot on the factory floor. The embedded systems developed for the anchors and the robot are robust enough to establish communication, select the closest anchors for measuring radii, and identify in which of the grid zones the robot is located.
Highlights
Precise positioning and location has long been sought for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles
A drawback of this technology is its inability to work properly in indoor environments. In such situations, wheeled robots needing to know their position usually implement deadreckoning strategies based on the information obtained from an inertial navigation system
This analytical solution was programmed in our system and the inaccuracies taken into account afterwards; this approach simplified the design and produced reliable results
Summary
Precise positioning and location has long been sought for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. A drawback of this technology is its inability to work properly in indoor environments In such situations, wheeled robots needing to know their position (on the plane they are moving in) usually implement deadreckoning strategies based on the information obtained from an inertial navigation system. As the underlying technology for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has proven so reliable, researchers have tried to mimic its functionality for indoor uses This requires wireless transceivers that are fast enough to detect very small periods of time, allowing the system to accurately measure distances between the transceivers in the order of metres. Miniaturization and embedding of many of the enabling technologies have produced inexpensive commercial systems that can be used in developing a solution with the required characteristics.
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