Magnetic Navigation using Attitude-Invariant Magnetic Field Information for Loop Closure Detection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a magnetic navigation method that uses attitude-invariant magnetic field measurements and a magnetometer array to improve indoor robot localization and loop closure detection, achieving meter-level accuracy.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach combining magnetic field disruptions and attitude-invariant measurements for indoor navigation and loop closure detection.

Findings

Achieves meter-level pose estimation accuracy indoors

Uses magnetometer array for attitude-invariant magnetic measurements

Effectively detects loop closure points in indoor environments

Abstract

Indoor magnetic fields are a combination of Earth's magnetic field and disruptions induced by ferromagnetic objects, such as steel structural components in buildings. As a result of these disruptions, pervasive in indoor spaces, magnetic field data is often omitted from navigation algorithms in indoor environments. This paper leverages the spatially-varying disruptions to Earth's magnetic field to extract positional information for use in indoor navigation algorithms. The algorithm uses a rate gyro and an array of four magnetometers to estimate the robot's pose. Additionally, the magnetometer array is used to compute attitude-invariant measurements associated with the magnetic field and its gradient. These measurements are used to detect loop closure points. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can estimate the pose of a ground robot in an indoor environment within meter accuracy.