SHARF: A single beacon hybrid acoustic and RF indoor localization scheme

Abstract

The inability of GPS (Global Positioning System) to provide accurate position in an indoor environment has resulted in global efforts for a precise indoor position system throughout the last decade. The current state of the art of localization and tracking estimates the position of the mobile node based on attributes like received signal strength (RSS), angle of arrival (AoA) etc. from at least three anchor nodes. This paper presents SHARF; a single beacon hybrid acoustic and RF localization scheme in an indoor environment. It combines the RF RSS information for ranging with the angle of azimuth from acoustic localization system based on beacon signals from only one target node to one anchor node. The experimental results show an improved localization accuracy in comparison to trilateration scheme. All these features, i.e. single beacon, hybrid approach and outlier rejection, posit the superiority of this technique over the existing systems.