The Influence of Ultra-Wideband Anchor Placement on Localization Accuracy

Localization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in spaces with a limited availability of Global Navigation Satellite System signals presents a challenge, and one possible solution is the usage of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) transceivers as an aid in the localization process. This paper examines the influence of placing the UWB anchors on the UAVs' localization accuracy in indoor spaces. Different testing scenarios, with variations in the number of anchors and their relative position towards the UAV, were created. Results show that the anchor placement plays an important role and is a significant factor in achieving accurate positioning of UAVs. The error for different testing configurations was shown through the RMSE for each axis, backed up by the standard deviation. The increase in the number of UWB anchors with the combined use of an additional laser ranging sensor for altitude measurement provided the best result. The RMSE was less than 18 cm in each axis of a 3D coordinate system with the standard deviation of up to 4.41 cm. For the testing scenarios that included the usage of a laser altimeter, the RMSE for the z-axis dropped below 1 cm, with the standard deviation of under 0.3 cm.