From city blocks to centimeter level: sensor fusion technology enables precise positioning
In today's fast-paced technology-driven environment, people expect accurate information. When it comes to navigating from one location to another, people want route planning based on their current location, not a location two blocks away. Nowadays, accurate positioning data is crucial for various applications such as vehicle navigation systems and ride-sharing. However, achieving accurate positioning is not simple, especially considering the changing environment in which these vehicles or equipment operate.
Relying on a single technique does not guarantee consistent results in all situations. Sensor fusion is a breakthrough positioning application technology that combines the advantages of multiple sensors to overcome the shortcomings of each technology itself.
Sensor fusion technology definition and
The importance of positioning in modern applications
Sensor fusion in positioning applications refers to the process of integrating data from multiple sensors to obtain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the location or status of a vehicle or device. In the fields of mobile travel such as GPS navigation, self-driving cars, commercial robots, and even electric bicycles and electric scooters, sensor fusion technology plays a particularly important role. It enables these systems to operate in environments that are challenging for traditional positioning systems. It can also identify its own location.
Various types of sensors are used in mobility applications, including cameras, radars, etc. Each sensor has its advantages and disadvantages, and no single sensor can provide a continuous, reliable and accurate positioning solution in all environments.
sensor fusion technology
What impact does it have on today’s life?
For consumers, sensor fusion technology is bringing more efficient navigation and positioning systems to vehicles and smartphones. At the same time, sensor fusion technology is also widely used in fields such as autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, autonomous mobile robots (such as delivery robots), and new application scenarios appear every day.
Absolute positioning and relative positioning
Required sensor type
So what is the difference between absolute positioning and relative positioning? As the name suggests, absolute positioning specifies your or your vehicle's location relative to a fixed point or known reference system such as latitude, longitude and altitude - and you're here!
Unlike absolute positioning, relative positioning estimates the current position based on previously known positions. Dead reckoning is a classic example of relative positioning, which uses initial position, direction, and velocity to estimate the new position of a vehicle or device.
Both methods have their uses (and limitations), but both are very effective when used together.
Types of absolute positioning sensors
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GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) or GPS - most commonly used in mobility sensor fusion applications [ Note: GNSS refers to all navigation satellite systems in general, while GPS refers specifically to the navigation satellite system of the United States]
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WiFi positioning
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Cellular base station triangulation positioning
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Geomagnetic positioning
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Use sensing methods such as cameras, lidar or radar for map positioning
Relative positioning sensor type
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Inertial Navigation Positioning – Gyroscopes and Accelerometers
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Determine relative altitude using barometer
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Lane following using vision sensors
Vehicle positioning challenges and
The role of sensor fusion technology
When it comes to mobility applications, separate absolute and relative positioning solutions can lead to ambiguity and uncertainty. Take the use of GPS when driving in a tunnel as an example. Since satellite signals may not be received in the tunnel, positioning cannot be performed, and you may miss the upcoming exit in the tunnel.
Focus on the field of mobile travel
Sensor fusion technology solutions
By integrating data from multiple sensors to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of vehicle motion, TDK is redefining the reliability and robustness of positioning systems for vehicles and shared mobility applications. (*The following product information includes products under development.)
“It is clear that TDK’s sensor fusion technology is the way forward to improve the accuracy and reliability of all positioning applications, including autonomous or semi-autonomous applications. The goal of sensor fusion technology is not just to provide more accurate positioning solutions; Providing a solution that is both accurate and reliable for integration into other navigation or control systems,”
said
Chris Goodall, Managing Director of Trusted Positioning, a TDK Group company
.
TDK's RIDE focuses on providing micromobility shared mobility service providers with accurate vehicle heading and location information, allowing the company to manage its fleet in an orderly manner. This helps minimize scooters and bicycles being discarded on sidewalks, preventing them from blocking sidewalks and creating potentially unsafe conditions. At the same time, RIDE is also very important in monitoring user behaviors such as irregular riding, loose parking and collisions.
This is advanced software capable of tracking vehicle location in areas with limited GPS signals. TRACK specializes in managing vehicle positions in the most challenging environments, such as parking lots, city center areas with high-rise buildings, and tunnels. TRACK is TDK's inertial dead reckoning software that works with a variety of hardware, processors, and sensors to provide solutions with outstanding performance.
Designed for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles and robotics applications. TDK's AUTO integrates automotive-grade IMU sensors, vehicle speed sensors, high-precision GNSS sensors and perception sensors, all of which are precisely synchronized to provide wheeled vehicles with higher accuracy and positional integrity at a lower cost.
Often, dead reckoning or inertial navigation technology is “one size fits all.” Some companies offer solutions for specific sensor combinations, while integrators are forced to use standardized hardware and cannot account for specific use cases. TDK places sensor fusion software at the core of this technology, focusing on delivering outstanding solutions optimized for each application. TDK offers specific products for different use cases, such as RIDE for e-bikes, TRACK for vehicles, and AUTO for autonomous driving.
TDK's software also offers ancillary benefits, such as the ability to detect driving dynamics, provide anti-theft technology or offer trailer detection solutions.
TDK also works with its manufacturing customers to develop capabilities based on location data provided by customers. If a customer wants to incorporate specific sensors or GPS hardware, TDK can adapt its software as needed. This eliminates the need to develop specific hardware and integrate it into the customer's system.
Sensor fusion technology in automobile positioning
Future trends
As software-driven vehicles (i.e., vehicles designed and primarily managed by updatable software) become more commonplace, smart mobility platform capabilities are expected to take center stage in more areas. As an innovative technology in the global automotive field, software-driven cars are gradually changing the way we drive and interact with vehicles.
It is foreseeable that technologies like 5G connectivity will continue to improve positioning and navigation functions that are easy to update, transmit and integrate into future smart vehicles.
Trusted Positioning, a subsidiary of the TDK Group, holds more than 130 patents worldwide and continues to be at the forefront of mobility and accessibility . If you want to learn more about TDK's technology, you can scan the QR code to go to the micro-official website or click the menu bar of the public account [ Micro-official website] to get more information.
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