Evaluation of Multi-Sensor Fusion Methods for Ultrasonic Indoor Positioning

Indoor positioning systems have become a feasible solution for the current development of multiple location-based services and applications. They often consist of deploying a certain set of beacons in the environment to create a coverage volume, wherein some receivers, such as robots, drones or smar...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Mannay, Khaoula, Ureña Ureña, Jesús|||0000-0003-1408-6039, Hernández Alonso, Álvaro|||0000-0001-9308-8133, Villadangos Carrizo, José Manuel|||0000-0001-5900-0978, Machhout, Mohamed, Aguili, Taoufik
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Alcalá (UAH)
Repositorio:e_Buah Biblioteca Digital Universidad de Alcalá
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ebuah.uah.es:10017/57880
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10017/57880
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app11156805
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:3D positioning
Ultrasonic local positioning systems
Loosely coupled fusion
Tightly coupled fusion
Electrónica
Electronics
Descripción
Sumario:Indoor positioning systems have become a feasible solution for the current development of multiple location-based services and applications. They often consist of deploying a certain set of beacons in the environment to create a coverage volume, wherein some receivers, such as robots, drones or smart devices, can move while estimating their own position. Their final accuracy and performance mainly depend on several factors: the workspace size and its nature, the technologies involved (Wi-Fi, ultrasound, light, RF), etc. This work evaluates a 3D ultrasonic local positioning system (3D-ULPS) based on three independent ULPSs installed at specific positions to cover almost all the workspace and position mobile ultrasonic receivers in the environment. Because the proposal deals with numerous ultrasonic emitters, it is possible to determine different time differences of arrival (TDOA) between them and the receiver. In that context, the selection of a suitable fusion method to merge all this information into a final position estimate is a key aspect of the proposal. A linear Kalman filter (LKF) and an adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) are proposed in that regard for a loosely coupled approach, where the positions obtained from each ULPS are merged together. On the other hand, as a tightly coupled method, an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is also applied to merge the raw measurements from all the ULPSs into a final position estimate. Simulations and experimental tests were carried out and validated both approaches, thus providing average errors in the centimetre range for the EKF version, in contrast to errors up to the meter range from the independent (not merged) ULPSs.