2D+Depth RF Localization via a Low-Cost Receiver

Abstract

The proliferation of mobile devices in consumer electronics, IoT, and healthcare sectors has sparked considerable interest in wireless localization. While antenna array systems have demonstrated promise for wireless localization, they often entail high costs, intricate system designs, lengthy integration periods, and specialized packet formats. This study employs a 16-element L-shaped antenna array paired with a 2-channel 2MHz receiver, utilizing affordable and readily available components to localize incoming packets. The proposed approach calculates the 2D Angle of Arrival (AoA) of incoming signals using a custom Phase Difference Matching (PDM) algorithm. Additionally, a non-parallel wave depth estimator infers depth information of the signal source by learning phase difference trends. The result shows the system achieves median AoA error of 2.53 degrees horizontally and 1.88 degrees vertically, with an average depth estimation error of 1.07 m. This approach demonstrates the potential for 3D wireless localization of commonly available RF devices, through an N-element 2D phased array paired with a cost-effective commodity receiver.