A Phase-Based Method for Mobile Node Localization through UHF-RFID Passive Tags

This paper presents a novel phase-based localization method for mobile nodes equipped with a UHFRFID system. The on-board reader collects phase data from a set of passive reference tags during the mobile node trajectory, by forming a synthetic array. This allows the adoption of a low-density distribution of reference tags. Then, the phase data are combined with information acquired by low-cost kinematic sensors through a Sensor Fusion approach. The method can be employed in both indoor and outdoor scenarios and independently on the reference tag positions. The proposed system represents a low-cost and easy deployable solution to reduce the typical drift of dead-reckoning algorithms for localization.

I. Introduction

The localization issue of mobile nodes, such as robots, vehicles or humans, has reached great attention in recent years [1]. The knowledge of the node position is useful in several applications such as environmental monitoring, access control, target tracking, intrusion detection and so on.