Millimetro: MmWave retro-reflective tags for accurate, long range localization

Elahe Soltanaghaei, Akarsh Prabhakara, Artur Balanuta, Matthew Anderson, Jan M. Rabaey, Swarun Kumar, Anthony Rowe

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

This paper presents Millimetro, an ultra-low-power tag that can be localized at high accuracy over extended distances. We develop Millimetro in the context of autonomous driving to efficiently localize roadside infrastructure such as lane markers and road signs, even if obscured from view, where visual sensing fails. While RF-based localization offers a natural solution, current ultra-low-power localization systems struggle to operate accurately at extended ranges under strict latency requirements. Millimetro addresses this challenge by re-using existing automotive radars that operate at mmWave frequency where plentiful bandwidth is available to ensure high accuracy and low latency. We address the crucial free space path loss problem experienced by signals from the tag at mmWave bands by building upon Van Atta Arrays that retro-reflect incident energy back towards the transmitting radar with minimal loss and low power consumption. Our experimental results indoors and outdoors demonstrate a scalable system that operates at a desirable range (over 100 m), accuracy (centimeter-level), and ultra-low-power (< 3 uW).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationACM MobiCom 2021 - Proceedings of the 27th ACM Annual International Conference On Mobile Computing And Networking
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Pages69-82
Number of pages14
ISBN (Electronic)9781450383424
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 11 2021
Externally publishedYes
Event27th ACM Annual International Conference On Mobile Computing And Networking, MobiCom 2021 - New Orleans, United States
Duration: Oct 25 2021Oct 29 2021

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking, MOBICOM

Conference

Conference27th ACM Annual International Conference On Mobile Computing And Networking, MobiCom 2021
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityNew Orleans
Period10/25/2110/29/21

Keywords

  • automotive radar
  • backscatter
  • FMCW
  • localization
  • millimeter wave
  • retro-reflective tag

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Hardware and Architecture

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