Hybrid localization solutions for robotic logistic applications

Abstract

This paper presents some results concerning rovers localization, achieved within the framework of the Italian Regional project MACP4Log [1]. This project investigates the coordination of a team of rovers that delivers assistance services in the context of logistic spaces. The issue of single rover localization is a service prerequisite which is faced by different approaches. First a WiFi-based localization technique is examined: it involves building a radio map of the Received Signal Strength (RSS) in the considered environment and, afterwards, setting the problem of localization as an optimization problem: given a RSS, the function is reversed to get the estimated position of the rover. Finally the proposed WiFi technique is integrated with a particle filter algorithm following both a “loose” and a “tight” coupling approaches, integrating radio information at two different levels. Experimental results in monodimensional and bidimensional environments validate these approaches and allow a comparative analysis among them.