A novel position estimation method using accelerometer based error correction
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel position estimation method to accurately locate an object. An accelerometer-based error correction method is also developed to correct the positioning error caused by signal drift of a wireless network. Finally, the method is also utilized to locate cows in a farm for monitoring the action of standing heat.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed method adopts the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a wireless sensor network (WSN) to compute the position of an object. The RSSI signal can be submitted from an endpoint device. A complex environment destabilizes the RSSI value, making the position estimation inaccurate. Therefore, a three-axial accelerometer is adopted to correct the position estimation accuracy. Timer and acceleration are two major factors in computing the error correction value to adjust the position estimate.
Findings
The proposed method is tested on a farm management system for positioning dairy cows accurately. Devices with WSN module and three-axial accelerometer are mounted on the cows to monitor their positions and actions.
Research limitations/implications
If cows in a crowded farm are close to each other, then the position estimation method is unable to position each cow correctly because too many close objects cause interference in the wireless network.
Practical implications
Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method improves the position accuracy, and monitor the heat action of the cows effectively.
Originality/value
No position estimation method has been utilized to locate cows in a farm, especially for monitoring their actions via WSN and accelerometer. The proposed method adopts an accelerometer to efficiently improve the position error caused from the signal drift of WSN.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China, Taiwan, for financially supporting this research under Contract No. MOST 102-2221-E-276-003 and MOST 104-2221-E-327-033. Ted Knoy is appreciated for his editorial assistance.
Citation
Chen, C.-H. and Chen, M.-C. (2016), "A novel position estimation method using accelerometer based error correction", Engineering Computations, Vol. 33 No. 6, pp. 1784-1799. https://doi.org/10.1108/EC-08-2015-0254
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited