An Ultra-Wideband RF Method for Localizing an Autonomous Mobile Robot

摘要

A technique for a new ad hoc, high-speed update and high precision location system that would establish a reliable navigation technology for autonomous unmanned vehicle systems was investigated. The system would employ a new ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging & communication (RAC) concept that incorporates time arrival information into the recent direct sequence (DS) code division multiple access (CDMA) technique. Time-of-arrivals (TOA) and time-difference-of-arrivals (TDOA) methods were then developed for position triangulation. The location system would have a self-configuring scheme so that the base stations of the location system can be installed and networked in a matter of minutes at desired positions. The geographical position of an object can be determined within centimeter-to-submeter accuracy over an area of several square kilometers at an update rate of hundred updates per second. The system can be used guidance control of unmanned vehicle systems including aerial, ground, and sea vehicles.