Abstract

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) have attached a great attention in the last few years. WSN offer several advantages over the traditional sensor networks, such as elimination of costly wires, security and larger area coverage. In the last few years, there has been great interest commercial applications based on Ultra Wideband (UWB). It has potentially low complexity, low cost and an excellent time domain resolution which facilitates location and tracking applications. Therefore, UWB provide a good combination of high performance with low complexity for WSN applications. Localization has attracted considerable attention in many fields. Accurate estimation of an individual location can be a difficult task, producing ambiguous results particularly in harsh environment. In this paper, we focus on feasibility study (via simulation and measurements) of using UWB based-WNS as future solution for localization in underground mines.

Keywords: Sensor networks; Localization; UWB ranging; ToA estimation; Nonlinear optimization; Underground environments

Article Outline

1. Introduction

2. Motivation for UWB based-WSN

3. An overview of localization techniques in mining industry

4. Positioning via power delay of UWB channel

4.1. Fingerprinting for underground mines positioning

4.2. Disadvantage of fingerprinting for positioning

5. UWB ranging technique

5.1. Related works

5.2. ToA-based ranging

5.3. Statistical characterization of the UWB range measurements in underground mines

6. Position estimation algorithm

6.1. Non-iterative methods

6.1.1. Direct method

6.1.2. Least square methods

6.1.3. Chan’s method

6.1.4. Bounding-box method

6.2. Iterative methods

6.2.1. Taylor-series method

6.2.2. Optimization-based method

7. An architecture for localization using UWB-based sensor networks

7.1. System description and challenges

7.1.1. Positioning algorithms associated to optimality criteria

7.2. Simulations

7.2.1. Impact of anchors percentage

7.2.2. Impact of radio ranging

7.2.3. Impact of error measurement

7.2.4. Irregular radio pattern

7.2.5. The node’s failure location

7.2.6. Some remarks on the localization algorithms

8. Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References

Vitae