Utilizing RFIDs for location aware computing

Abstract

This paper focuses on the possibilities of utilizing infrastructural RFIDs for location aware computing. A key to automated computer aided work is location and situation awareness. This allows the system to operate independently from direct user input, minimizing the impact on the original process. For demonstration purposes a large area tracking system using existing RFID technology and infrastructure is developed and evaluated. As a first possible application we embed the system into an aircraft cabin. The localization procedure is based on the coordinates of the RFID transponders detected by the RFID reader, as well as the orientation information measured by a gyroscope. Position estimation is accomplished through an iterative algorithm, optimizing the position of the antenna's readability field with respect to the currently visible tags. The average error is below half a meter. Possible use cases range from maintenance assistance to way finding in commercial shops or underground parking lots. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.