Measurement-wise recursive TDoA-based localization using local straight line approximation

Abstract

Locating the position of a target is a fundamental task in most robotic systems. This paper focuses on a passive localization method. The presented method uses passive, synchronised and localized radio sensors to take the time-difference-of-arrival (TDoA) measurements for different pairs of sensors, with reference to an unknown target-emitted radio signal. The localization method is simple, memory efficient and robust. Importantly, the proposed measurement-wise recursive method is suitable for real-time application of time-critical robotic systems. The method is easily transferable to other problems that involve finding the intersection point of multiple (curved) lines in the presence of noise. Monte Carlo simulations and experimental tests on real data were conducted to evaluate the performance of our localization method. The results obtained compare favourably to other well-known methods.