The Localization Methods in Mobile Robot Navigation Technology: A Patent Review

Abstract

Background: The mobile robot navigation technology includes two key issues: the localization and the path planning, of which the localization is the most basic part of mobile robot navigation, because the target point is meaningful only when mobile robot's pose is clarified, and path planning can be done on this basis. Therefore, it is of great significance to have a good localization method for mobile robots. Objective: This study aimed to summarize the existing localization methods in mobile robot navigation technology and introduce their classifications, characteristics, as well as the stage and trends of development. Methods: A retrospective review of various patents and literature related to localization methods in mobile robot navigation technology was performed. The characteristics, differences, and applications of different localization methods were also introduced. Results: The existing localization methods were analyzed and compared, and their typical characteristics are summarized. The main applications, as well as the pros and cons in the current development stage, were summarized and analyzed. In addition, the development trend of patents related to positioning methods is also discussed. Conclusion: This paper summarized three localization methods and provided numerous cases. It can be seen that most of the existing localization methods are dedicated to improving the positioning accuracy and efficiency of mobile robots, while there is less research on the robustness of mobile robot localization, which is not conducive to the research on robots with the unknown working environment and long moving distances. Therefore, related research patents and documents should be proposed. Current and future development trends are also looking forward.