Experimental Comparison of UWB and Magnetic Ranging Systems in Robotics Applications

This paper presents an experimental comparison of an Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and a magnetic ranging system, with the goal of developing a new tool for distance estimation targeting robotic applications. To characterize the performance, compatibility, and complementarity of the two ranging systems, three experiments were performed. These experiments demonstrate that these two technologies can coexist. Also, analyzing the standard deviation of the distance estimation error, it was observed that up to 1.5 meters the magnetic ranging system achieves better performance, while for greater distances the UWB ranging system represents a better choice. In addition, it has been shown from experiments with obstacles, thus in non-line-of-sight conditions, that the UWB ranging system can be affected by metallic obstructions. In contrast, the magnetic system does not show significant variations in these situations. With one of the experiments, the absence of substantial interference between the magnetic system and a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) was also verified.