Localization Algorithm for a mobile robot using iGS

As an absolute positioning system, iGS is designed based on ultrasonic signals whose speed can be formulated clearly in terms of time and room temperature, which is utilized for mobile robot localization. The iGS is composed of an RFID receiver and an ultra-sonic transmitter, where an RFID is designated to synchronize the transmitter and receiver of the ultrasonic signal. The traveling time of the ultrasonic signal has been used to calculate the distance between the iGS system and a beacon which is located at a pre-specified location. This paper suggests an effective operation method of iGS to estimate position of the mobile robot working in an unstructured environment. To expand recognition range and to improve accuracy of the system, two strategies are proposed: auto-calibration of beacons belonging to neighboring blocks and removal of the environment-reflected ultrasonic signals. As the results, the ubiquitous localization system based on the iGS as a pseudo-satellite system has been developed successfully with a low cost, a high update rate, and relatively high precision.