Performance Evaluation of an Hybrid RSSI-Inertial Localization Algorithm in IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks

In this work we present an evaluation of the performance of a range-based hybrid localization algorithm based on the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and inertial data applied in a real world WSN. As can be found in literature, RSSI-based localization algorithms exhibit low accuracy due to the variability of the radio signal. Adding inertial information, such as accelerations values obtained by an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), in combination with an implementation of a dedicated data-fusion algorithm, it can provide a higher level of accuracy. In order to evaluate the accuracy gain, we compared the results obtained in the field using only RSSI data against the values provided with a hybrid localization system in the same environment.