Quadrotor-Based Lighthouse Localization with Time-Synchronized Wireless Sensor Nodes and Bearing-Only Measurements

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Wireless Sensor Networks
• Localization Technology

Background:

• Robotic localization often relies on external infrastructure, limiting operation in unmapped areas.
• Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) offer a potential solution for deploying localization infrastructure.
• Existing methods like ultra-wideband and lighthouse localization have limitations in infrastructure-less scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the use of an OpenWSN network as localization infrastructure for robotic navigation.
• To enable quadrotor self-localization using laser-based relative bearing measurements of sensor nodes.
• To assess the feasibility of using WSNs for robotic exploration tasks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Crazyflie quadcopter equipped for laser-based relative bearing measurements.
• Deployed a network of miniaturized, low-power OpenWSN sensor nodes with known locations.
• Implemented an Extended Kalman Filter for sensor fusion and localization.
• Integrated OpenWSN stack on sensor motes for network communication.

Main Results:

• Achieved root-mean-square (RMS) positioning errors of 0.57 m for X and 0.39 m for Y.
• Demonstrated successful quadrotor localization using laser measurements of WSN nodes.
• Confirmed compatibility of laser measurements with monolithic wireless system-on-chips (SoCs).

Conclusions:

• This work represents the first application of an OpenWSN sensor network for robotic localization.
• The developed system provides a viable solution for robotic navigation in infrastructure-less environments.
• Future simulations indicate potential for localizing unknown sensor motes using the same measurement technique.