PolyPoint: Guiding Indoor Quadrotors with Ultra-Wideband Localization

We introduce PolyPoint, the first RF localization system which enables the real-time tracking and navigating of quadrotors through complex indoor environments. PolyPoint leverages the new ScenSor transceiver from DecaWave to acquire the timestamps necessary for accurate time-based location estimation and leverages the benefits of antenna and frequency diversity to iteratively refine a tag’s position. PolyPoint produces quadrotor position estimates at a rate of 20 Hz with median error below 40 cm and average error of 56 cm in lineof-sight conditions. PolyPoint approaches the localization accuracy necessary to safely navigate quadrotors indoors, a feat currently achieved by costly and delicate optical motion capture systems.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2015
• Where: MOBICOM
• Authors: Benjamin P. Kempke, Pat Pannuto, Prabal Dutta
• Keywords: Communications, MOBICOM 2015