A high-accuracy wide-angle acoustic system for distance measurements and robot positioning

Abstract: Wide-angle distance measurements are needed for positioning with multilateration when there is no information about in which direction objects of interest are located. Several transmitters of varying kinds were evaluated in a data-driven way using a 6 DOF robot actuator. A wide-angle (±98 degrees) distance measurement system us- ing ultrasound was developed. The resulting solution was integrated in a positioning system showing sub-centimeter accuracy in an industrial environment.