Analysis of RSSI Feasibility for Sensor Positioning in Exterior Environment

Qian Dong*, Feng Zhu, Yanning Cai, Liangda Fang, Mi Lu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceedingConference Proceedingpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mobility of nodes in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) brings formidable challenges to protocol design. A mobility estimation algorithm is the prerequisite for evaluating link quality, localizing nodes and excogitating a signal threshold to trigger possible handoff. The radio Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) integrated in sensors has been widely used due to its low economy cost and moderate energy consumption. The distance of separation between adjacent nodes can be estimated by reading RSSI when a good portion of electromagnetic wave propagates in a line-of-sight link. However, the measurement results of RSSI fluctuate heavily because of fading signal and disturbing background noise. This paper investigates the reliability of RSSI for exterior sensor positioning. To display the one-to-one mapping between RSSI and distance, a series of static experiments are conducted and a reference curve is established. To mitigate the fluctuation of raw RSSI samples, a set of mobile experiments are carried out and five filtering methods are employed. The mitigation effects are evaluated by the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values. Though the overall optimal RMSE achieves 0.84, which is significantly lower than that of the raw samples, it is still possible that one RSSI corresponds to two or more distances, and the maximum difference between them can reach 2.97 meters. Because this error is intolerable for many applications, it is not authentic to gauge the distance between mobile nodes only based on RSSI in exterior environment.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2021 Wireless Telecommunications Symposium, WTS 2021
PublisherIEEE Computer Society
ISBN (Electronic)9781728184807
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Apr 2021
Externally publishedYes
Event20th Annual Wireless Telecommunications Symposium, WTS 2021 - Virtual, Online, United States
Duration: 21 Apr 202123 Apr 2021

Publication series

NameWireless Telecommunications Symposium
Volume2021-April
ISSN (Print)1934-5070

Conference

Conference20th Annual Wireless Telecommunications Symposium, WTS 2021
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityVirtual, Online
Period21/04/2123/04/21

Keywords

  • RSSI
  • distance
  • localization
  • outdoor positioning
  • wireless sensor network

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