Absolute Localization via DSRC Signal Strength

Lane-level localization is the basis for successful deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems. Global Navigation Satellite System can provide lane-level position in open (non-obstructed) environments. A new area of research aims for a collaborative approach to localization where one vehicle can leverage the localization information from other vehicles. A Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) message has all surrounding vehicles' location data and complementing this message is its Received Signal Strength (RSS). The RSS from a DSRC message can be used as a relative ranging sensor to a vehicle with known location allowing for recovery of one's own absolute position. In this paper, we present a successful implementation of absolute localization via ranging from RSS using an extensive dataset collected from 30 DSRC equipped vehicles. First, we analyze the obstacles to localization via RSS and propose a set of methods for absolute localization from the RSS of DSRC messages. We then integrate our methods with vehicle dynamics and demonstrate that a practical absolute localization can be recovered from RSS. Finally, we demonstrate our algorithms' absolute positioning potential for both static and dynamic environments.