Electro-Optical Ranging for Short Range Applications – Design and Realization Aspects

There has been a growing need for wireless systems that provide accurate position location. For example, indoor positioning to track personnel or assets in laboratories, warehouses, and hospitals is becoming more popular. Applications of wireless positioning for search-and-rescue operations have become important because of increasing interest in security services. Localization of robots has been studied extensively. The concept of mobility extends the localization process. However, mobility is almost pointless without the ability of goal-directed motion, i.e. navigation. Furthermore, there are fundamental problems of using navigation systems, as Global Positioning System (GPS), for indoor environments.

Prometheus is the name of one of the running projects at Communication Technologies department. Prometheus consists of three main subprojects, HAWK, FALCON and ARGOS. The three subprojects are based on the same platform concept and differ only in the realization type of their transmission techniques. The platform consists of a digital signal processor (DSP) and an interface card which connects the DSP with the respective transmission board.

ARGOS, the subject of this study, aims simple, cheap and accurate ranging systems for indoor environments. It focuses, mainly, on factories. ARGOS is an optical ranging system compared, in this study, with its corresponding radio and ultrasonic systems. It is shown that optical ranging systems have the best chances in terms of economic realizations.

Furthermore, the author discusses criteria in order to select the appropriate test signals for the proposed optical ranging system. The discussion background aims an appropriate estimation process. The author, finally, proposes a novel estimation process for ranging systems. Simulations show the advantages and the disadvantages of such an algorithm and its key parameters. Finally, the author presents his own realization of ARGOS and its functionality based on the measurement results.