Multipath-based SLAM with Cooperation and Map Fusion in MIMO Systems

TL;DR

This paper explores multipath-based SLAM in wireless networks, leveraging cooperation and map fusion among multiple mobile terminals to improve localization accuracy and environmental mapping.

Contribution

It introduces a cooperative MP-SLAM framework that enables multiple mobile terminals to exchange information and fuse maps, enhancing robustness and precision.

Findings

Cooperative localization improves accuracy over single-terminal methods.

Map fusion among multiple MTs enhances environmental understanding.

The approach demonstrates robustness in complex propagation environments.

Abstract

Multipath-based simultaneous localization and mapping (MP-SLAM) is a promising approach in wireless networks for obtaining position information of transmitters and receivers as well as information on the propagation environment. MP-SLAM models specular reflections of radio frequency (RF) signals at flat surfaces as virtual anchors (VAs), the mirror images of base stations (BSs). Conventional methods for MP-SLAM consider a single mobile terminal (MT) which has to be localized. The availability of additional MTs paves the way for utilizing additional information in the scenario. Specifically enabling MTs to exchange information allows for data fusion over different observations of VAs made by different MTs. Furthermore, cooperative localization becomes possible in addition to multipathbased localization. Utilizing this additional information enables more robust mapping and higher localization accuracy.