Global Localization for a Swarm of Autonomous Transport Vehicles Using IEEE 802.15.4a CSS

Abstract

The paper presents global localization for a swarm of autonomous transport vehicles which transport Euro-bins in a distribution center or warehouse. Global localization and position tracking is realized by trilateration and Kalman filtering using range measurements obtained from an IEEE 802.15.4a CSS network. The IEEE 802.15.4a network is used for communication as well as for localization. The paper presents the design of the network including the communication protocol together with the design of the tracking algorithm. In order to support a large number of robots, the whole working area is divided into cells which uses different frequencies. The network protocol provides handover between the cells and routing capabilities in real-time. Experimental results are given to prove the effectiveness of the proposed methods.