Mobile-robots indoor tracking and navigation: perspectives for RFID technology

Localization of mobile robots is a key task for the implementation of autonomous robotic systems. Several technolo-gies have been explored with advantages and disadvantages to perform this task. Recently, RFID technology has been taken into consideration due to its low cost and practicality, giving rise to a new line of research. By exploiting the probability of detection, the received signal strength, or the phase of the tag replies, it is possible to get vehicle location information. Obviously, RFID technology shows pros and cons, and several precautions must be taken into account for real-systems deployment. This work aims to give an overview of advantages and challenges that RFID technology has to face to be used on a large scale in mobile-robotics applications.