The IPIN 2019 Indoor Localisation Competition—Description and Results

IPIN 2019 Competition, sixth in a series of IPIN competitions, was held at the CNR Research Area of Pisa (IT), integrated into the program of the IPIN 2019 Conference. It included two on-site real-time Tracks and three off-site Tracks. The four Tracks presented in this paper were set in the same environment, made of two buildings close together for a total usable area of 1000 m 2 outdoors and and 6000 m 2 indoors over three floors, with a total path length exceeding 500 m. IPIN competitions, based on the EvAAL framework, have aimed at comparing the accuracy performance of personal positioning systems in fair and realistic conditions: past editions of the competition were carried in big conference settings, university campuses and a shopping mall. Positioning accuracy is computed while the person carrying the system under test walks at normal walking speed, uses lifts and goes up and down stairs or briefly stops at given points. Results presented here are a showcase of state-of-the-art systems tested side by side in real-world settings as part of the on-site real-time competition Tracks. Results for off-site Tracks allow a detailed and reproducible comparison of the most recent positioning and tracking algorithms in the same environment as the on-site Tracks

Independent Biaxial Scanning Light Detection and Ranging System Based on Coded Laser Pulses without Idle Listening Time

The goal of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems is to achieve high-resolution three-dimensional distance images with high refresh rates and long distances. In scanning LIDAR systems, an idle listening time between pulse transmission and reception is a significant obstacle to accomplishing this goal. We apply intensity-modulated direct detection (IM/DD) optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) using nonreturn-to-zero on-off keying to eliminate the idle listening time in scanning LIDAR systems. The transmitter records time information while emitting a coded laser pulse in the measurement angle derived from the pixel information as the measurement direction. The receiver extracts and decodes the reflected laser pulses and estimates the distance to the target using time-of-flight until the pulse is received after being transmitted. Also, we rely on a series of pulses and eliminate alien pulses via several detection decision steps to enhance the robustness of the decision result. We built a prototype system and evaluated its performance by measuring black matte and white paper walls and assessing object detection by measuring a watering can in front of the black matte paper wall. This LIDAR system eliminated both shot and background noises in the reception process and measured greater distances with improvements in accuracy and precision

Suitable Combination of Direct Intensity Modulation and Spreading Sequence for LIDAR with Pulse Coding

In the coded pulse scanning light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, the number of laser pulses used at a given measurement point changes depending on the modulation and the method of spreading used in optical code-division multiple access (OCDMA). The number of laser pulses determines the pulse width, output power, and duration of the pulse transmission of a measurement point. These parameters determine the maximum measurement distance of the LIDAR and the number of measurement points that can be employed per second. In this paper, we suggest possible combinations of modulation and spreading technology that can be used for OCDMA, evaluate their performance and characteristics, and study optimal combinations according to varying operating environments

Independent Biaxial Scanning Light Detection and Ranging System Based on Coded Laser Pulses without Idle Listening Time

The goal of light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems is to achieve high-resolution three-dimensional distance images with high refresh rates and long distances. In scanning LIDAR systems, an idle listening time between pulse transmission and reception is a significant obstacle to accomplishing this goal. We apply intensity-modulated direct detection (IM/DD) optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) using nonreturn-to-zero on-off keying to eliminate the idle listening time in scanning LIDAR systems. The transmitter records time information while emitting a coded laser pulse in the measurement angle derived from the pixel information as the measurement direction. The receiver extracts and decodes the reflected laser pulses and estimates the distance to the target using time-of-flight until the pulse is received after being transmitted. Also, we rely on a series of pulses and eliminate alien pulses via several detection decision steps to enhance the robustness of the decision result. We built a prototype system and evaluated its performance by measuring black matte and white paper walls and assessing object detection by measuring a watering can in front of the black matte paper wall. This LIDAR system eliminated both shot and background noises in the reception process and measured greater distances with improvements in accuracy and precision

Alien Pulse Rejection in Concurrent Firing LIDAR

Mobile pulse light detection and ranging (LIDAR) is an essential component of autonomous vehicles. The obstacle detection function of autonomous vehicles requires very low failure rates. With an increasing number of autonomous vehicles equipped with LIDAR sensors for use in the detection and avoidance of obstacles and for safe navigation through the environment, the probability of mutual interference becomes an important issue. The reception of foreign laser pulses can lead to problems such as ghost targets or a reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this paper, we presented the probability that any LIDAR sensor would interfere mutually by considering spatial and temporal overlaps. We presented some typical mutual interference scenarios in real-world vehicle applications, as well as an analysis of the interference mechanism. We proposed a new multi-plane LIDAR sensor which used coded pulse streams encoded by carrier-hopping prime code (CHPC) technology to measure surrounding perimeters without mutual interference. These encoded pulses utilized a random azimuth identification and checksum with random spreading code. We modeled the entirety of the LIDAR sensor operation in Synopsys OptSim and represented the alien pulse elimination functionality obtained via modeling and simulation

Optimal Path Configuration with Coded Laser Pilots for Charging Electric Vehicles Using High Intensity Laser Power Beams

Wireless power transmission (WPT) for wireless charging has been gaining wide attention as a promising approach to miniaturizing the battery size and increasing the maximal total range of an electric vehicle (EV). With an appropriate charging infrastructure, WPT holds great potential to accelerate the acceptance of EVs through users’ higher satisfaction, reducing EV cost, and increasing the driving range and capability. A WPT system based on high-intensity laser power beaming (HILPB) provides an optimal solution for wirelessly charging electric vehicles from a distance of several meters. Despite a large number of WPT approaches, the problem of optimal path configuration for charging EV remains an unexplored area. This paper proposes a method to determine the optimal power transmission path in environments where multiple power transmitters (PTXs) and power receivers (PRXs) are operated simultaneously. To this end, we modeled the HILPB power that reaches a PRX equipped with a photovoltaic (PV) array and validated the model by simulating the WPT process in an environment with multiple PTXs and PRXs using a direct-sequence optical code division multiple access (DS-OCDMA) system. In the simulation environment, upon receiving a request from a PRX, a PTX sent its power channel information through optically encoded laser pulses using each available wireless power channel (WPC). The PRX calculated the maximum deliverable power of a PTX and WPC based on the received channel power indicator of the incident laser beam. Based on the calculation results, it selected the optimal PTX and WPC for its maximum power requirement (MPQ). The MPQ of each PRX was satisfied by applying the algorithm for selecting the PTX according to the alignment and characteristics of the PTXs and PRXs. We modeled a power reception model of the PRX based on a PV array using coded laser pilots and validated it through experimentation. We discussed some algorithms that select the most suitable PTX among several PTXs for which several EVs receive the power it needs

Empirical Overview of Benchmark Datasets for Geomagnetic Field-Based Indoor Positioning

Indoor positioning and localization have been regarded as some of the most widely researched areas during the last decade. The wide proliferation of smartphones and the availability of fast-speed internet have initiated several location-based services. Concerning the importance of precise location information, many sensors are embedded into modern smartphones. Besides Wi-Fi positioning, a rich variety of technologies have been introduced or adopted for indoor positioning such as ultrawideband, infrared, radio frequency identification, Bluetooth beacons, pedestrian dead reckoning, and magnetic field, etc. However, special emphasis is put on infrastructureless approaches like Wi-Fi and magnetic field-based positioning, as they do not require additional infrastructure. Magnetic field positioning is an attractive solution for indoors; yet lack of public benchmarks and selection of suitable benchmarks are among the big challenges. While several benchmarks have been introduced over time, the selection criteria of a benchmark are not properly defined, which leads to positioning results that lack generalization. This study aims at analyzing various public benchmarks for magnetic field positioning and highlights their pros and cons for evaluation positioning algorithms. The concept of DUST (device, user, space, time) and DOWTS (dynamicity, orientation, walk, trajectory, and sensor fusion) is introduced which divides the characteristics of the magnetic field dataset into basic and advanced groups and discusses the publicly available datasets accordingly