Mobile robot self localization based on multi-antenna-RFID reader and IC tag textile

Abstract

This paper presents a self-localization system using multiple RFID reader antennas and High-Frequency RFID-tag textile floor for an indoor autonomous mobile robot. Conventional self-localization systems often use vision sensors and/or laser range finders and an environment model. It is difficult to estimate the exact global location if the environment has number of places that have similar shape boundaries or small number of landmarks to localize. It tends to take a long time to recover the self-localization estimation if it goes wrong at once. Vision sensors work hard in dark lighting condition. Laser range finder often fails to detect distance to a transparent wall. In addition, the self-localization becomes unstable if obstacles occlude landmarks that are important to estimate position of the robot. Door opening and closing condition affects the selflocalization performance. Self-localization system based on reading RFID-tags on floor is robust against lighting condition, obstacles, furniture and doors conditions in the environment. Even if the arrangement of the obstacles or furniture in the environment is changed, it is not necessary to update the map for the self-localization. It can localize itself immediately and is free from well-known kidnapped robot problem because the RFID-tags give global position information. Conventional self-localization systems based on reading RFID-tags on floor often use only one RFID reader antenna and have difficulty of orientation estimation. We have developed a self-localization system using multiple RFID reader antennas and High-Frequency RFID-tag textile floor for an indoor autonomous mobile robot. Experimental results show the validity of the proposed methods.

Mobile Robot Transportation for Multiple Labware with Hybrid Pose Correction in Life Science Laboratories

“…However, a positional error will accumulate over time, and thus they are unsuitable. RFID reader and IC tag methods are robust but unsuitable for large environments due to the expensive installation of IC tags [28]. Image vision methods give the robot accurate information about its environment [29] but fail to work properly in low light levels with certain complex situations.…”

Design of an HF-Band RFID System with Multiple Readers and Passive Tags for Indoor Mobile Robot Self-Localization

“…Takahashi et al [15] proposed an RFID-based self-localization system having eight RFID reader antennas at the bottom of the robot. In this system, the RFID tags were arranged in a lattice pattern, and a simple kinematics was used to localize the robot.…”

“…However, the disadvantages of the base self-localization system remain in this approach. The other approach is to use only an RFID system for self-localization [11,12,13,14,15,16]. Various methods for making use of an RFID system for self-localization have been proposed.…”

“…Various methods for making use of an RFID system for self-localization have been proposed. One method is to use only kinematic constraints [13,14,15]. However, the accuracy of self-localization depends on the density of tags; therefore, a high density of tags is required for accurate self-localization.…”

Low cost design of HF-band RFID system for mobile robot self-localization based on multiple readers and tags

“…Takahashi et al [11],use a simple kinematics to localize the robot with 8 RFID readers. The accuracy of self-localization highly depends on the density of RFID tags and RFID readers.…”