An Indoor Localization Scheme by Integrating Wiimote with an IR-LED Array for Mobile Robot Navigations

Indoor localization of mobile units is critical for subsequent task development of intelligent living technology. Wiimotes have been demonstrated as an effective localization medium and certain localization schemes have been developed. However, due to lack of ability in identifying individual characteristics of IRLEDs, the past schemes fail to report the correct position information if the wiimote passes a shielding zone. In this work, a novel wiimote localization scheme is proposed to overcome the above-mentioned concern. The scheme is based on kinematics and coordinates transformation for locating the absolute displacement and this avoid the possible signal drifting during motion. Meanwhile, a controllable IR-LED array is designed to provide a convenient way for determining the specific zone in a virtually undistinguishable living space. With this feature, it is possible to interpret the absolute coordinate and orientation of mobile carriers even if they pass through possible shielding zones. The scheme is verified by using a 2-axis servomotor and a self-designed IR LED array with regular moving patterns. Finally, the scheme is applied on an omni-wheel mobile robot for demonstrating its applicability in trajectory control, obstacle avoidance for multi-robot path planning, and sensor fusions. The results indicated that the proposed scheme should be helpful in localization of moving objects in indoor living space applications. © 2019, Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society. All right reserved.