Experimental Data Collection and Performance Analysis of Outdoor UWB Positioning System under Static and Mobile Conditions

Abstract

A wide variety of semiautonomous systems are emerging in construction, defense, and agricultural applications. A UWB positioning system shows promise in improving navigational capabilities and safety of operations for these systems. This paper describes an outdoor UWB positioning system used to measure the position of the operators of a semiautonomous vehicle to improve safety of operations. A measurement campaign was conducted to collect experimental range errors for the system at distances from 2 m to 40 m. The range errors are characterized and performance of the system is assessed in a static environment. A model is proposed for range errors and results are compared to experimental data. Measured position errors are compared to position errors generated by the model. A mobility model is proposed and performance of the positioning system in a mobile environment is assessed.