Exploiting Ultra-Wideband Channel Impulse Responses for Device-Free Localization

In radio-frequency (RF)-based device-free localization (DFL), the number of sensors acting as RF transmitters and receivers is crucial for accuracy and system costs. Two promising approaches for DFL have been identified in the past: radio tomographic imaging (RTI) and multi-static radar (MSR). RTI in its basic version requires many sensors for high accuracy, which increases the cost. In this paper, we show how RTI benefits from multipath propagation. By evaluating the direct and echo paths, we increase the coverage of the target area, and by utilizing UWB signals, the RTI system is less susceptible to multipath propagation. MSR maps reflections that occur within the target area to reflectors such as persons or other objects. MSR does not require that the person is located near a signal path. Both suggested methods exploit ultra-wideband (UWB) channel impulse response (CIR) measurements. CIR measurements and the modeling of multipath effects either increase the accuracy or reduce the required number of sensors for localization with RTI. We created a test setup and measure UWB CIRs at different positions with a commercially available off-the-shelf UWB radio chip, the Decawave DW1000. We compare the localization results of RTI, multipath-assisted (MA)-RTI, and MSR and investigate a combined approach. We show that RTI is improved by the analysis of multipath propagation; furthermore, MA-RTI results in a better performance compared to MSR: with 50% of all cases, the localization error is better than 0.82 m and in 80% of all cases 1.34 m. The combined approach results in the best localization result with 0.64 m in 50% of all cases.