A New Positioning Method Based on Multiple Ultrasonic Sensors for Autonomous Mobile Robot.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Sensor Technology
• Navigation Systems

Background:

• Accurate positioning is crucial for autonomous mobile robot navigation.
• Conventional ultrasonic positioning methods often require temperature compensation for optimal accuracy.
• Existing methods can be computationally intensive or lack precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, high-accuracy ultrasonic positioning method for autonomous mobile robots.
• To eliminate the need for additional temperature information in ultrasonic positioning.
• To establish generalized and simplified measurement models for versatile sensor configurations.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing three ultrasonic sensors to obtain time-of-flight signals.
• Developing a generalized measurement model for arbitrary sensor arrangements.
• Establishing a simplified model optimized for linear/simplified sensor configurations.
• Calculating target coordinates using ratios of time-of-flight measurements.

Main Results:

• Experimental validation confirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
• Both generalized and simplified models successfully implemented positioning.
• The new method demonstrated significantly improved positioning accuracy over conventional approaches.
• Accuracy comparable to temperature-compensated methods was achieved without extra sensors or data.

Conclusions:

• The proposed ultrasonic positioning method offers a robust and accurate solution for autonomous mobile robots.
• The method achieves high precision without relying on environmental temperature data.
• The developed models provide flexibility for various sensor setups, enhancing practical applicability.