Ultra-Wideband Localization for Indoor Robotics

Abstract

Indoor robotics demands highly accurate and robust localization for navigation, mapping, and task execution. Ultra-Wideband (UWB) localization—based on very short radio pulses and time-of-flight measurements— offers centimeter-level accuracy, strong resistance to multipath interference, and minimal interference with other wireless systems, positioning it as a promising solution in cluttered indoor environments Wiley Online LibraryResearchGateWikipedia. This paper synthesizes pre-2020 research on UWB-based localization for indoor robotics, covering fundamental system design, hybrid sensor fusion approaches, and practical deployments. A 2012 UWB impulse-based system demonstrated that, with corrections like antenna modeling and signal threshold adjustments, localization accuracy could be enhanced to as fine as 2.5 cm—versus 9 cm baseline accuracy Wiley Online Library. Fusion methods combining UWB with inertial sensors (IMUs) using steady-state Kalman filters have yielded significant reductions in localization error while preserving computational simplicity arXiv. UWB + IMU fusion through Extended Kalman Filters (EKF) or robust MAP-based estimators also mitigated drift and multipath effects by over 100% compared to standalone UWB methods Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Comparative experiments confirmed UWB’s dominance over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in mobile robot tracking—tracking errors remained below ~13 cm static and ~30 cm mobile, representing improvements of over 88% relative to BLEbased systems MDPIPubMed. However, UWB systems face limitations: high hardware costs, complexity in anchor deployment, and susceptibility to non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and multipath propagation, requiring careful configuration and, often, sensor fusion MDPIResearchGate. We discuss these findings, outlining advantages, challenges, and future directions for integrating UWB in indoor robotics.