Use of RFID Tags as GPS Alternative in Autonomous Vehicles: A Study

This report proposes an RFID-based positioning system as an alternative to GPS for autonomous vehicles, particularly in areas with poor or unavailable GPS signals. The system utilizes RFID tags installed on roads and readers on vehicles to determine location. Information from the tags, along with a kinematic integration algorithm, is used for vehicle positioning. The report addresses potential errors from acceleration and deceleration through a calibration algorithm. It includes an introduction covering background information, aims, objectives, and research scope. A literature review covers GPS limitations, related studies, and self-driving locations. The methodology section details the RFID-based positioning system's working, experimental design, data collection methods, and analysis. Experiments are conducted using radar, photoelectric switches, and ns-2 simulation software to verify the system. The results section presents experimental findings, followed by a discussion. Finally, the conclusion summarizes the findings, recommendations, and potential future work, highlighting RFID's potential in autonomous vehicle navigation.

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USE OF RFID TAGS AS AN ALTERNATIVE
TO GPS IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

ABSTRACT
This report proposes the usage of an RFID based positioning system which will be used as an
alternative means for GPS where the GPS services are not available or signals are poor. Using
this approach of positioning for the vehicles, the RFID tags will be installed at the surface of the
roads and the RFID tag readers will be installed at the base of the car. When the vehicle passes
over the tag, the reader which is located at the bottom of the car activates the tag which shared or
rather detects the tag with its details. In the tag, there are some information which can be read by
the reader. The tag information details are the information related to the position of the tag which
further translates to the position of the vehicle. In order to fill the gap which exists between the
tag, estimation technique has to be employed on the basis of the latest position which is updated
in the tag, this estimation can be best served using the kinematic integration algorithm. When the
vehicles decelerate or accelerates, the speed obviously will have to change, this change in speed
due to acceleration and deceleration will affect the accuracy of the method of estimation. This
error which exist can be removed or reduced by the calibration algorithm which is proposed in
this particular paper.

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................1
Table of Figures................................................................................................................................4
List Of Tables...................................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER ONE...............................................................................................................................5
1.0 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................5
1.1 Background Information.........................................................................................................5
1.2 Aim and Objectives................................................................................................................7
1.3 Research Brief.........................................................................................................................7
1.3.1 Project Overview..............................................................................................................7
1.3.2 Motivations......................................................................................................................7
1.3.3 Ideas and Research Priority..............................................................................................8
1.4 Project scope...........................................................................................................................8
1.5 Contribution............................................................................................................................8
1.6 Report Structure......................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER TWO............................................................................................................................11
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................................11
2.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................11
2.2 Research Gap In Vehicles Positioning..................................................................................11

2.3 The Global Positioning System............................................................................................12
2.4 Related Studies.....................................................................................................................12
2.5 Self-Driving Locations.........................................................................................................17
CHAPTER THREE........................................................................................................................20
3.0 METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................20
3.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................20
3.2 Research Problem and Philosophical Questions...................................................................20
3.3 Selection of Research Methodology.....................................................................................20
3.4 The working of RFID-Based Positioning of Vehicles..........................................................21
3.5 Summary...............................................................................................................................24
CHAPTER FOUR..........................................................................................................................26
4.0 EXPERIMENTS.......................................................................................................................26
4.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................26
4.2 Experimental Design.............................................................................................................26
4.2.1 Experimental verification Based on the Radar...............................................................27
4.2.2 Experimental verification based on the Photoelectric Switch........................................28
4.2.3 Experimental verification using the ns-2 simulation software.......................................29
4.3 Data Collection.....................................................................................................................29
4.3.1 Location Identification based on Dynamic Active RFID calibration............................30
4.3.2 LANDMARC algorithm................................................................................................30

4.3.3 Vehicle location system.................................................................................................31
4.3.4 RFID tags.......................................................................................................................31
4.3.5 Active tag.......................................................................................................................31
4.3.6 Controller components...................................................................................................33
4.3.7 Workflow of vehicle controller......................................................................................34
4.3.8 RFID in transportation...................................................................................................36
4.4 Data Analysis........................................................................................................................37
4.5 Summary...............................................................................................................................38
CHAPTER FIVE............................................................................................................................39
5.0 RESULTS.................................................................................................................................39
5.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................39
5.2 Verification based on Radar.................................................................................................39
5.3 Using Photo Electric Switch.................................................................................................40
5.4 Discussion.............................................................................................................................41
CHAPTER SIX..............................................................................................................................43
6.0 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................43
6.1 Conclusion............................................................................................................................43
6.2 Recommendation..................................................................................................................44
6.3 Future Work..........................................................................................................................44

Table of Figures
Figure 1: Layout of RFID tags and reader......................................................................................21
Figure 2: RFID tag, antenna, reader, and controller unit................................................................22
Figure 3: The connection of RFID reader and ECU.......................................................................23
Figure 4: Kinematic integration algorithm.....................................................................................23
Figure 5: Setup of experimental verification based on radar.........................................................27
Figure 6: Setup of experimental verification based on photoelectric switch.................................28
Figure 7: LANDMARC algorithm.................................................................................................30
Figure 8: Local information of a vehicle........................................................................................31
Figure 9: RFID tags........................................................................................................................32
Figure 10: RFID tags for positioning.............................................................................................32
Figure 11: How RFID works..........................................................................................................33
Figure 12: Vehicle controller architecture......................................................................................33
Figure 13: Workflow chart of vehicle controller............................................................................34
Figure 14: Tracking vehicle with RFID tags..................................................................................35
Figure 15: Results of experimental verification based on radar.....................................................38
Figure 16: Results of experimental verification based on photoelectric switch.............................39
List Of Tables
Table 1: Definition of the data stored in RFID tags.......................................................................22

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This is the first section of the report where the topic is introduced, a brief background information
related to the topic is introduced for the purpose of creating foundation of understanding the topic
under research. The main aim of carrying out research is also discussed, a brief information of the
work which is expected to be done in the report including the motivations, priorities, ideas as
well as the expected results are discussed. And finally the section ends with the contribution
which defined what the report will be adding to the existing manuscript.
1.1 Background Information
In early 2014, the depart of transportation in the united states announced officially of the decision
to adapt the vehicle to vehicle technology of communication for the vehicles which are light. This
came into its final implementation in around 10 years after where the department gave the
communication technology a clean bill of right for the cars to be able to communicate with each
other (Prinsloo & Malekian, 2016). At this time when the vehicle to vehicle communication
technology was getting track, the Global Positing system had also been in use for a couple of
years. So many applications of innovations had already been tested in this particular case,
including the cooperative collision warning, intersection movement assistance, intersection safety
support among other innovative applications which were present at that time (Xu, 2018). In this
particular applications, the real time positioning of vehicle was assumed in terms of the
algorithms as well as the protocol for the movement guidance, interaction with many other
vehicles as well as operational controls. This assumption is reasonable enough because the global
positioning system GPS technology is available widely and also affordable. Currently, so many

vehicles have already been equipped with GPS for the purpose of tracking as well as navigation.
However, the Global Positioning system based for the vehicles showed some limitations as the
connected vehicles were been advanced to the implementation of the real world as well as the
fact that the success of the other applications was depending heavily on the accuracy of the
position of the vehicles (Wiseman, 2018).
These limitations which was being faced by the GPS application includes poor or rather lack of
signals in some of the areas including the urban canyon and the accuracy of positioning in the
dynamic environment. In order to address the above named and mentioned limitation for the
GPS, the paper proposes an alternative supplementary but also independent approach which is the
Radio Frequency Identification RFID based vehicle positioning in order to facilitate the
connection of vehicles applications at those areas where the GPS services is either not reliable or
not available (Ali & Hussein, 2017). In this advanced moving world, every day is an innovation
day with new technologies. One of the latest technologies, is an autonomous vehicle or Self-
driving vehicle. World can get many benefits from self-driving vehicle as there will be no driver
one can travel and plan long journeys without any causalities and rest. As an autonomous vehicle
does not need any rest for travelling a long journey, other advantage with an autonomous vehicle
is children under eighteen years of age can travel and own their own car because they no need of
driving the car and they can travel where ever they want without any driver (Arthikeyani et al.
2018).
Self-driving vehicles rely on GPS tracking system for mapping the routes, which navigates the
vehicle to move from one location to the desired location. As nowadays, most of the vehicles and
drivers are using GPS tracking system to travel from one place to other by applications like i.e.;
google maps, Waze-route, Maps and many other applications are helping to travel with easy

routes. On the other hand, in some places like urban areas and in tunnels driver gets confuse
when an application stops working because of a lost signal from satellite, but for a driver he
drives his car on the same route till he gets back the signal and then he can continue his journey
by following again the application (Lu et al. 2018). If the same thing happen with the self-driving
car then can self-driving car travel or get stooped at same location as it lost its route. This paper
will shed a light on various aspects of this issue.
1.2 Aim and Objectives
The main aim of the study is to provide an alternative application and technology to GPS when
the signal is lost, and vehicle is stuck in between for self-driving cars, with the help of RFID tags.
To design a system when there is no network coverage for GPS system then vehicle starts
connecting to the active RFID tags to reach the desired destination.
1.3 Research Brief
1.3.1 Project Overview
The research is on the independent approach which is the Radio Frequency Identification RFID
based vehicle positioning in order to facilitate the connection of vehicles applications at those
areas where the GPS services is either not reliable or not available.
1.3.2 Motivations
As there are everyday new innovations in the current world. The most awaited innovation is
future self-driving vehicle which helps people who could not drive the vehicle but has desire to
travel alone in their vehicle. With the future innovation of an autonomous vehicle an elderly
person, disable person everyone can travel and plan their journeys. To provide this innovation
with an effective aspect as when self-driving vehicle travel on GPS system if in any place where
there is an outage of GPS. Then to provide high accuracy to vehicles on roads in places where

network coverage fails to navigate the system to reach the desired location. The main purpose is
to design a system which navigates in the absence of GPS tracking system.
 To provide an alternative to GPS tracking system
 To provide an accurate application
 To provide a simple route with the help of RFID
1.3.3 Ideas and Research Priority
The idea behind this research is to device a way under which the vehicles can be able to be
located in areas where the GPS signals and services are not available. The priority of the research
is safety of the people, travelling in a self-driving vehicle. When there is lost of GPS network in a
vehicle then it should not stop in middle of motorway or road where there is a high chance of
causality. Therefore, there is need of a system which starts in a fraction of seconds of a lost GPS
tracking system without any effect on self-driving vehicle. Which must connect with an active
RFID tags because, Active RFID tags has long range compare to passive tags.
1.4 Project scope
Scope of the research is to provide an alternative system or backup in the absence of global
positioning system for a self-driving vehicle to travel from vehicle current position to destination.
Which manages the owner of a self-driving vehicle to reach the destination without driving when
the GPS system is down. Because the Self-driving vehicles might be mostly used by a disable
person or any elderly person or under age as they cannot drive the vehicle due to some
conditions. This research will help them to be stress-free even I lost of GPS (global positioning
system) as they can reach there destination by connecting to nearest RFID tags.

1.5 Contribution
Autonomous vehicles rely on GPS tracking system to travel from one place to other. GPS signal
covers when it is connected to four satellite signal at a time when there is no network coverage
GPS signal doesn’t react to system. In this case, the proposed system is by implementing a
vehicle controller in self-driving car and with the help of RFID tags, vehicle can connect with
near by active tag and follow the route by connecting continuously routes RFID tags till it is
connected to GPS tracking system again and reach to desired location.
1.6 Report Structure
It is very much important to understand that the report will be focusing on the aspects that’s
are centered to the use of RFID as an alternative for GPS. This report therefore is divided into six
major sections as each section will be focusing on different report aspects. This sections includes;
Chapter One: Introduction
This is the first section of the report where the topic is introduced, a brief background
information related to the topic is introduced for the purpose of creating foundation of
understanding the topic under research. The main aim of carrying out research is also discussed, a
brief information of the work which is expected to be done in the report including the
motivations, priorities, ideas as well as the expected results are discussed. And finally the section
ends with the contribution which defined what the report will be adding to the existing
manuscript.
Chapter two: Literature Review
This is the second section of the report which gives the related work which was being done by
other researchers related to the current topic under investigation. All the related work and
researchers are discussed in details here.

Chapter Three: Research Methodology
This is the third section of the report. In this section, data is collected regarding the topic
foundation, this will help in development of the system which will help in achieving the set
objectives.
Chapter Four: Experiments
This is the fourth section of the report. Experiments are carried out here using the data
collected at the methodology stage in order to achieve the set objectives.
Chapter Five: Results
This is the fifth section of the report where the outcome of the experiments done are presented
in an analysis form so that the reader can be able to create conclusion.
Chapter Six: Conclusion
This is the last section of the report. In this section the report is concluded by summarizing the
main points which were done and taken note of in the report for drawing recommendations. This
section relies on the results which were obtains in the experimentation section.