Unbalanced Hybrid AOA/RSSI Localization for Simplified Wireless Sensor Networks

Area of Science:

• Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)
• Localization and Positioning Systems
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Hybrid angle-of-arrival (AOA) and received signal strength indicator (RSSI) localization offers synchronization-free positioning.
• Conventional methods require complex anchor hardware (large antenna arrays) for AOA estimation, complicating wireless sensor networks.
• Simplifying WSNs for localization is crucial for practical deployment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a simplified hybrid localization method (1AOA/nRSSI) reducing WSN complexity.
• To enable localization using a single master anchor for AOA and multiple simple anchors for RSSI.
• To evaluate the performance and precision of the proposed unbalanced integration method.

Main Methods:

• Developed an unbalanced integration scheme: 1AOA/nRSSI.
• Transformed 1AOA/1RSSI measurements into virtual anchors.
• Applied least squares and subspace methods for localization using integrated measurements.
• Evaluated the impact of angular and distance measurement errors.

Main Results:

• The 1AOA/nRSSI method significantly simplifies WSN anchor requirements.
• Achieved localization precision comparable to traditional nAOA/nRSSI networks.
• Performance is maintained with a slightly increased number of simple anchors.

Conclusions:

• The proposed 1AOA/nRSSI method offers a practical and simplified approach to WSN localization.
• This technique reduces hardware complexity without sacrificing localization accuracy.
• It presents a viable alternative for efficient source positioning in WSNs.