Mobile Robot Localization by Tracking Built-in Encoders

Localization is important for a mobile robot to accurately locate its position and orientation so as to accomplish its task. Most of the existing algorithms are based on sonar sensors, infrared sensor, laser range finders, or artificial landmarks. In this paper, we describe encoder-based mobile robot localization. By tracking the rotation degrees of embedded encoders, degree sum can be converted to the distance a robot moved, degree difference can be computed to derive the degree of a robot turned. The mathematic model concludes 6 simple steps and equations to implement in any available programming language. Experiment results show that the accuracy is quite acceptable. This research also help our team got a "Good" award in a national robot competition.