Methodical Approach to Active Node Layout Generation for Robot Navigation

Abstract

In the field of mobile robot navigation, active beacons are a well researched tool to provide an infrastructure for guidance systems. One drawback to the use of active beacons is that their layout is sometimes arbitrary. Moreover, it is often determined solely by the researcher's preference or experience. While this is occasionally the easiest way to produce results, it is a significant roadblock to the general use of these systems in practical applications, as the layout for any installation must be evaluated by an expert user. In an attempt to formalize the placement of nodes in such a system, we have developed a straightforward approach for the placement of nodes. This approach has also been applied to a software tool which would allow even a novice user to generate layouts for their applications.