Infrastructure-less UWB-based Relative Localization: an Active Approach

In multi-robot systems, relative localization is crucial in many tasks, such as leader following, target tracking, or cooperative maneuvering. Current approaches either rely on infrastructure-based or on infrastructure-less setups. The former typically achieve high localization accuracy but require fixed external structures. The latter provide more flexibility, but often requires Line-of-Sight (LoS) devices like cameras or lidars. Ultra Wide Band (UWB) devices are emerging as a viable alternative to build infrastructure-less solutions that do not require LoS. These approaches directly deploy the UWB sensors on the robots. However, they require that at least one of the platforms is static, limiting the advantages of an infrastructure-less setup. In our ongoing work [1], we remove this constraint and introduce an active method for infrastructure-less relative localization. Our approach allows the robot to adapt its position to minimize the relative localization error of the other platform.