ReLoki: A Light-Weight Relative Localization System Based on UWB Antenna Arrays

Abstract

Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) sensing has gained popularity in relative localization applications. Many localization solutions rely on using Time of Flight (ToF) sensing based on a beacon–tag system, which requires four or more beacons in the environment for 3D localization. A lesser researched option is using Angle of Arrival (AoA) readings obtained from UWB antenna pairs to perform relative localization. In this paper, we present a UWB platform called ReLoki that can be used for ranging and AoA-based relative localization in 3D. To enable AoA, ReLoki utilizes the geometry of antenna arrays. In this paper, we present a system design for localization estimates using a Regular Tetrahedral Array (RTA), Regular Orthogonal Array (ROA), and Uniform Square Array (USA). The use of a multi-antenna array enables fully onboard infrastructure-free relative localization between participating ReLoki modules. We also present studies demonstrating sub-50cm localization errors in indoor experiments, achieving performance close to current ToF-based systems, while offering the advantage of not relying on static infrastructure.