Experimental analysis of quadrilateral positioning algorithm for vehicular ad hoc networks

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) form when vehicles are equipped with devices capable of short-range wireless communication. Accurate wireless positioning of VANETs is a challenging task, which requires a robust wireless positioning algorithm. In this study, a quadrilateral positioning algorithm is proposed to estimate the moving vehicle node’s position in VANETs based on the wireless signal’s “distance-loss” model and geometric relationship. Furthermore, a wireless positioning experimental platform was created to test the positioning algorithm applications in field. The experimental results show that when the moving node is inside the fixed nodes, the positioning accuracy is much higher than the case that the moving node is outside the fixed nodes; when the moving node is located in the middle of the experimental field, the positioning accuracy is higher than located at the corner areas in the test field