Load-cell Based Smart Floor Panel for Indoor Localization Applications

Abstract

Accurate position detection of indoor objects is crucial for many intelligent life applications. Indoor position detection can be commonly performed using some forms of touch-based floor system. The present study develops a force-sensing floor panel for the indoor localization of human beings and moving objects such as mobile robots. The detailed geometric parameters of the floor panel are determined by simulations. The motion signals are detected by four load cells located at the panel corners and are used to determine the position of the applied force by means of rigid body statics. In addition, a novel recursive algorithm, aiming for calibrating the floor due to possible assembly errors, is proposed to improve the localization accuracy of the panel after installation. Essential tests are performed to examine the system performance. The results indicate that the localization accuracy is approximately 1cm after calibration and can detect people motion provided the walking frequency less than 0.5 Hz. Finally, a demonstration also presented to highlight other possible applications such as center of gravity measurement of irregular objects.