Indoor Self-Aware Positioning Robot using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

Abstract

This paper presents the development of an autonomous indoor mobile robot utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology for self-aware localization and navigation. The proposed system features a distributed hardware architecture, employing a standard ESP32 for motor control and BLE signal processing, alongside an ESP32-CAM to host a real-time web-based Graphical User Interface (GUI). Localization is achieved through Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) trilateration and fingerprinting, enhanced by a Kalman filter to mitigate multipath interference and signal noise. Experimental results demonstrate a positioning accuracy of 74.27% in static conditions and 72% during autonomous movement. While the ultrasonic sensor system achieved a 100% success rate in detecting static obstacles of varying materials (cloth, glass, cardboard) within a 25 cm range, the reliability of the obstacle avoidance maneuver was limited (20% success rate) due to orientation drift inherent in the open-loop motor control mechanism. The system offers a scalable, cost-effective prototype for indoor navigation with potential applications in environments such as warehouses and smart buildings, subject to further domain-specific validation.