Sensors (Jan 2024)

Research on Inertial Navigation and Environmental Correction Indoor Ultra-Wideband Ranging and Positioning Methods

  • Chunhua Han,
  • Shunbiao Xue,
  • Li Long,
  • Xiongquan Xiao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s24010261
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 1
p. 261

Abstract

Read online

In contrast to outdoor environments, indoor positioning encounters signal propagation disruptions due to the presence of buildings, resulting in reduced accuracy and, at times, the inability to determine a location accurately. This research, leveraging the robust penetrative capabilities of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) signals in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios, introduces a methodology for refining ranging outcomes through a combination of inertial navigation and environmental adjustments to achieve high-precision spatial positioning. This approach systematically enhances the correction of signal propagation errors through walls. Initially, it digitalizes the spatial setting, preserving the error correction parameters. Subsequently, it employs inertial navigation to estimate spatial coordinates and delineate signal propagation pathways to achieve precise ranging results. It iteratively hones the positioning outcomes for enhanced precision. Empirical findings demonstrate that within NLOS conditions, compared to standalone UWB positioning and IMU/UWB fusion positioning using the ESKF algorithm, this positioning technique significantly enhances planar positioning accuracy while achieving a marginal elevation accuracy improvement, albeit with some residual deviations from actual values. Furthermore, this positioning methodology effectively rectifies results in NOLS settings, paving the way for a novel approach to optimize indoor positioning through UWB technology.

Keywords