Dynamic Range-Only Localization for Multi-Robot Systems

Abstract

The localization problem for multi-robot teams has been extensively studied with the goal of obtaining precise positioning information, such as required by a variety of robotic applications. This paper proposes a dynamic localization approach that exploits multiple robots equipped with range-only ultrawideband sensors to create and maintain a common self-adaptive coordinate system. For 2-D localization, we use three robots with relative range measurements to build a global coordinate system. We recursively apply an extended Kalman filter, which results in accurate position estimates over time. We also propose a reconfiguration approach that prevents error accumulation from ultra-wideband sensors. The applicability of our approach is tested through a campaign of simulations, which show promising results.