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Simulating Signal Aberration and Ranging Error for Ultrasonic Indoor Positioning
Riccardo Carotenuto1, Massimo Merenda1,2, Demetrio Iero1,2
1DIIES Department, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89126 Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 27, 2020
Summary
Ultrasonic positioning systems can be inaccurate due to signal shape changes caused by acoustic diffraction. Careful design of ultrasonic emitters and acoustic signals is crucial for accurate indoor positioning.
Area of Science:
- Acoustics
- Signal Processing
- Indoor Positioning Systems
Background:
- Indoor positioning is critical for many applications, driving demand for accurate technologies.
- Ultrasonic systems offer promising accuracy and refresh rates for indoor tracking.
- Existing ultrasonic positioning methods can be susceptible to errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of acoustic diffraction on ultrasonic positioning signals.
- To analyze how signal shape aberrations affect ranging accuracy.
- To identify optimal design parameters for improved ultrasonic positioning.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations using Field II acoustic software.
- Analysis of linear chirp signals used in ultrasonic ranging.
- Evaluation of cross-correlation ranging techniques under signal distortion.
- Simulation of a typical office environment and ultrasonic emitter.
Main Results:
- Acoustic diffraction causes linear chirp signal aberrations.
- Signal shape changes significantly increase ranging errors, even with cross-correlation.
- Spatial distributions of ranging error reveal low-error regions.
- Transducer geometry and viewing angle influence signal aberration.
Conclusions:
- Signal shape aberrations in ultrasonic positioning systems lead to significant ranging errors.
- The design of the acoustic section, including emitter characteristics and signal shape, is critical.
- Optimized acoustic design is necessary for reliable indoor ultrasonic positioning.
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