Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor Localization

Recently, it has been shown that odometry is possible only using data from a magnetometer array. In this work, we analyze the uncertainty of the pose change estimate using a magnetometer array. We derive an analytical expression for the pose change covariance to analyze the estimation uncertainty in...

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Main Authors: Thomas Edridge, Manon Kok
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Journal of Indoor and Seamless Positioning and Navigation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10989651/
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author Thomas Edridge
Manon Kok
author_facet Thomas Edridge
Manon Kok
author_sort Thomas Edridge
collection DOAJ
description Recently, it has been shown that odometry is possible only using data from a magnetometer array. In this work, we analyze the uncertainty of the pose change estimate using a magnetometer array. We derive an analytical expression for the pose change covariance to analyze the estimation uncertainty in Monte Carlo simulations. Under certain conditions, we demonstrate that using a magnetometer array, it is possible to estimate the position and orientation change with submillimeter and subdegree precision between two consecutive time-steps. Moreover, we also demonstrate that when constructing a magnetometer array, magnetometers should be placed in the direction of movement to maximize the positional and rotational precision, with at least four magnetometers per unit of length-scale. In addition, we illustrate that to minimize positional and rotational drift to under a few percentages and degrees of the distance traveled, submillimeter and subdegree magnetometer alignment errors are necessary. Similarly, bias errors smaller than a few percent of the magnitude of the magnetic field variations are necessary. The Monte Carlo simulations are verified using experimental data collected with a 30-magnetometer array. The experimental data show that when insufficient magnetic field anomalies are in close proximity, the changes in positions are estimated poorly, while significant orientation information is still obtained. It also shows that when the magnetometer array is in close proximity to sufficient magnetic field anomalies, the overall trajectory traveled by a magnetometer array can be accurately estimated with a horizontal error accumulation of less than a percentage of the distance traveled.
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spelling doaj-art-c2c480ccb1d940348e45d1fd4ca4042a2025-08-20T02:26:19ZengIEEEIEEE Journal of Indoor and Seamless Positioning and Navigation2832-73222025-01-01315216410.1109/JISPIN.2025.356725810989651Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor LocalizationThomas Edridge0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5803-3275Manon Kok1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2441-2240Delft Center for Systems and Control (DCSC), Delft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsDelft Center for Systems and Control (DCSC), Delft University of Technology, Delft, The NetherlandsRecently, it has been shown that odometry is possible only using data from a magnetometer array. In this work, we analyze the uncertainty of the pose change estimate using a magnetometer array. We derive an analytical expression for the pose change covariance to analyze the estimation uncertainty in Monte Carlo simulations. Under certain conditions, we demonstrate that using a magnetometer array, it is possible to estimate the position and orientation change with submillimeter and subdegree precision between two consecutive time-steps. Moreover, we also demonstrate that when constructing a magnetometer array, magnetometers should be placed in the direction of movement to maximize the positional and rotational precision, with at least four magnetometers per unit of length-scale. In addition, we illustrate that to minimize positional and rotational drift to under a few percentages and degrees of the distance traveled, submillimeter and subdegree magnetometer alignment errors are necessary. Similarly, bias errors smaller than a few percent of the magnitude of the magnetic field variations are necessary. The Monte Carlo simulations are verified using experimental data collected with a 30-magnetometer array. The experimental data show that when insufficient magnetic field anomalies are in close proximity, the changes in positions are estimated poorly, while significant orientation information is still obtained. It also shows that when the magnetometer array is in close proximity to sufficient magnetic field anomalies, the overall trajectory traveled by a magnetometer array can be accurately estimated with a horizontal error accumulation of less than a percentage of the distance traveled.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10989651/Gaussian process (GP)indoor localizationmagnetic fieldmagnetometersensor array
spellingShingle Thomas Edridge
Manon Kok
Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor Localization
IEEE Journal of Indoor and Seamless Positioning and Navigation
Gaussian process (GP)
indoor localization
magnetic field
magnetometer
sensor array
title Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor Localization
title_full Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor Localization
title_fullStr Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor Localization
title_full_unstemmed Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor Localization
title_short Position and Orientation Estimation Uncertainty Using Magnetometer Arrays for Indoor Localization
title_sort position and orientation estimation uncertainty using magnetometer arrays for indoor localization
topic Gaussian process (GP)
indoor localization
magnetic field
magnetometer
sensor array
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10989651/
work_keys_str_mv AT thomasedridge positionandorientationestimationuncertaintyusingmagnetometerarraysforindoorlocalization
AT manonkok positionandorientationestimationuncertaintyusingmagnetometerarraysforindoorlocalization