sensors-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Innovative Indoor Positioning, Localization and Navigation Technologies

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Navigation and Positioning".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 3135

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Information Systems Department, University of Minho, Campus Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: indoor localization; ubiquitous computing; mobile computing; pervasive; location
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, indoor positioning, localization, and navigation technologies have expanded significantly.

Disruptive innovations derive from new hardware, applications, or innovative algorithms that are especially tailored for such technologies. Sustaining innovations are often linked to software or hardware elements to improve accuracy, processing efficiency, or the building of better applications. Therefore, we are searching for works that contribute toward obtaining universal, standardized, ubiquitous indoor positioning and localization services.

The main topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Disruptive applications;
  • The standardization of localization services;
  • New sensors in hardware or software;
  • Novel sensor data fusion techniques and algorithms.

Dr. Filipe Meneses
Dr. Joaquín Torres-Sospedra
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • disruptive applications
  • the standardization of localization services
  • new sensors in hardware or software
  • novel sensor data fusion techniques and algorithms

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 5047 KiB  
Article
RLI-SLAM: Fast Robust Ranging-LiDAR-Inertial Tightly-Coupled Localization and Mapping
by Rui Xin, Ningyan Guo, Xingyu Ma, Gang Liu and Zhiyong Feng
Sensors 2024, 24(17), 5672; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24175672 - 31 Aug 2024
Viewed by 665
Abstract
Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is an essential component for smart robot operations in unknown confined spaces such as indoors, tunnels and underground. This paper proposes a novel tightly-coupled ranging-LiDAR-inertial simultaneous localization and mapping framework, namely RLI-SLAM, which is designed to be high-accuracy, [...] Read more.
Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is an essential component for smart robot operations in unknown confined spaces such as indoors, tunnels and underground. This paper proposes a novel tightly-coupled ranging-LiDAR-inertial simultaneous localization and mapping framework, namely RLI-SLAM, which is designed to be high-accuracy, fast and robust in the long-term fast-motion scenario, and features two key innovations. The first one is tightly fusing the ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging and the inertial sensor to prevent the initial bias and long-term drift of the inertial sensor so that the point cloud distortion of the fast-moving LiDAR can be effectively compensated in real-time. This enables high-accuracy and robust state estimation in the long-term fast-motion scenario, even with a single ranging measurement. The second one is deploying an efficient loop closure detection module by using an incremental smoothing factor graph approach, which seamlessly integrates into the RLI-SLAM system, and enables high-precision mapping in a challenging environment. Extensive benchmark comparisons validate the superior accuracy of the proposed new state estimation and mapping framework over other state-of-the-art systems at a low computational complexity, even with a single ranging measurement and/or in a challenging environment. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 14212 KiB  
Article
ReLoki: A Light-Weight Relative Localization System Based on UWB Antenna Arrays
by Joseph Prince Mathew and Cameron Nowzari
Sensors 2024, 24(16), 5407; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24165407 - 21 Aug 2024
Viewed by 451
Abstract
Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) sensing has gained popularity in relative localization applications. Many localization solutions rely on using Time of Flight (ToF) sensing based on a beacon–tag system, which requires four or more beacons in the environment for 3D localization. A lesser researched option [...] Read more.
Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) sensing has gained popularity in relative localization applications. Many localization solutions rely on using Time of Flight (ToF) sensing based on a beacon–tag system, which requires four or more beacons in the environment for 3D localization. A lesser researched option is using Angle of Arrival (AoA) readings obtained from UWB antenna pairs to perform relative localization. In this paper, we present a UWB platform called ReLoki that can be used for ranging and AoA-based relative localization in 3D. To enable AoA, ReLoki utilizes the geometry of antenna arrays. In this paper, we present a system design for localization estimates using a Regular Tetrahedral Array (RTA), Regular Orthogonal Array (ROA), and Uniform Square Array (USA). The use of a multi-antenna array enables fully onboard infrastructure-free relative localization between participating ReLoki modules. We also present studies demonstrating sub-50cm localization errors in indoor experiments, achieving performance close to current ToF-based systems, while offering the advantage of not relying on static infrastructure. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 59375 KiB  
Article
Tape-Shaped, Multiscale, and Continuous-Readable Fiducial Marker for Indoor Navigation and Localization Systems
by Benedito S. R. Neto, Tiago D. O. Araújo, Bianchi S. Meiguins and Carlos G. R. Santos
Sensors 2024, 24(14), 4605; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24144605 - 16 Jul 2024
Viewed by 799
Abstract
The present study proposes a fiducial marker for location systems that uses computer vision. The marker employs a set of tape-shaped markers that facilitate their positioning in the environment, allowing continuous reading to cover the entire perimeter of the environment and making it [...] Read more.
The present study proposes a fiducial marker for location systems that uses computer vision. The marker employs a set of tape-shaped markers that facilitate their positioning in the environment, allowing continuous reading to cover the entire perimeter of the environment and making it possible to minimize interruptions in the location service. Because the marker is present throughout the perimeter of the environment, it presents hierarchical coding patterns that allow it to be robust against multiple detection scales. We implemented an application to help the user generate the markers with a floor plan image. We conducted two types of tests, one in a 3D simulation environment and one in a real-life environment with a smartphone. The tests made it possible to measure the performance of the tape-shaped marker with readings at multiple distances compared to ArUco, QRCode, and STag with detections at distances of 10 to 0.5 m. The localization tests in the 3D environment analyzed the time of marker detection during the journey from one room to another in positioning conditions (A) with the markers positioned at the baseboard of the wall, (B) with the markers positioned at camera height, and (C) with the marker positioned on the floor. The localization tests in real conditions allowed us to measure the time of detections in favorable conditions of detections, demonstrating that the tape-shaped-marker-detection algorithm is not yet robust against blurring but is robust against lighting variations, difficult angle displays, and partial occlusions. In both test environments, the marker allowed for detection at multiple scales, confirming its functionality. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 6789 KiB  
Article
Indoor Navigation in Facilities with Repetitive Structures
by Zeev Volkovich, Elena V. Ravve and Renata Avros
Sensors 2024, 24(9), 2876; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24092876 - 30 Apr 2024
Viewed by 739
Abstract
Most facilities are structured in a repetitive manner. In this paper, we propose an algorithm and its partial implementation for a cellular guide in such facilities without GPS use. The complete system is based on iBeacons-like components, which operate on BLE technology, and [...] Read more.
Most facilities are structured in a repetitive manner. In this paper, we propose an algorithm and its partial implementation for a cellular guide in such facilities without GPS use. The complete system is based on iBeacons-like components, which operate on BLE technology, and their integration into a navigation application. We assume that the user’s location is determined with sufficient accuracy. Our main goal revolves around leveraging the repetitive structure of the given facility to optimize navigation in terms of storage requirements, energy efficiency in the cellular device, algorithmic complexity, and other aspects. To the best of our knowledge, there is no prior experience in addressing this specific aim. In order to provide high performance in real time, we rely on optimal saving and the use of pre-calculated and stored navigation sub-routes. Our implementation seamlessly integrates iBeacon communications, a pre-defined indoor map, diverse data structures for efficient information storage, and a user interface, all working cohesively under a single supervision. Each module can be considered, developed, and improved independently. The approach is mainly directed to places, such as passenger ships, hotels, colleges, and so on. Because of the fact that there are “replicated” parts on different floors, stored once and used for multiple routes, we reduce the amount of information that must be stored, thus helping to reduce memory usage and as a result, yielding a better running time and energy consumption. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop