Pozyx is an Arduino-compatible platform that provides accurate positioning

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This indoor location system may finally be able to help your robotic vacuum find its way around the house. 

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The GPS on smartphones or Garmin devices may suffice when it comes to driving directions, but truth be told, accuracy isn’t always its strong suit. Whereas traditional navigation systems can be off anywhere from a few feet to a half a block, Pozyx is an affordable hardware solution that provides precise positioning down to the centimeter. Not to mention, those who own a Roomba know all too well the sound of the robotic cleaner hitting furniture in search of a clear path, or getting stuck beneath a chair or table. This only validates Pozyx Laboratories’ point in just how inaccurate location finding can be, both outdoors and inside a home.

In order to improve this matter, Pozyx has developed an affordable solution that relies upon ultra-wideband radio waves, which transmit low-power signals across various frequencies and even through walls, to acquire location and motion data. The Belgian startup’s system works quite similarly to everyday navigation technology, where like the GPS satellites in the sky, Pozyx employs four stationary, wall-mounted anchors that wirelessly communicate with a snap-on, ARM Cortex-M4-based board. This easy-to-program MCU, called a “tag,” can function as either a standalone device or as an Arduino shield.

Positioning is achieved through two-way ranging with the anchors and state-of-the art algorithms. Meanwhile, the Pozyx tags process all measurements needed to accurately compute the whereabouts and orientation of the board, at a high update rate, using its internal sensors (an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer). When coupled with the set of anchors, Pozyx can then guide an object across a space collision-free — whether that’s a robotic vacuum in the living room or a drone waiter flying over a bag of chips. These units, which measure 63mm x 63m x 22mm, come in a protective casing and with a micro-USB power adapter. .

Messages can also be transmitted over the air using ultra-wideband technology. Not only can these be text or user data, but commands for remote Pozyx modules as well. This makes it an ideal option for any home automation project. What’s more, the platform enables a pair of Arduinos to wirelessly talk with one another; meaning, they can be used to do everything from read out sensors to steer robots to turn on LED lights from afar. Makers can even reprogram the microcontroller to suit their own needs via SWD.

“Depending on your skill level, you can use the system in several ways. Plug the Pozyx tag into your Arduino and get started right away. Obtaining your position and orientation is done with a few lines of code using our Arduino library,” Pozyx founder Samuel Van de Velde explains. “Use the Pozyx system as any other sensor. Connect with it through I2C. Perfect for a connection with a Raspberry Pi or some other platform. Or, program the microcontroller of the tags or anchor yourself and connect with all the onboard sensors for ultimate control.”

Whether it’s a cat, a vacuum or your own body movements that you’re looking to track, Pozyx can precisely find and guide pretty much anything in and around your house. Moving ahead, its creators are hoping to scale down the tag’s form factor from its current 71.75mm x 58mm size to something a bit smaller, which will allow for the system to be implemented in a wide range of settings such as gaming, wearables, supply chain management and retail.

Intrigued? Head over to its official Kickstarter page, where the Pozyx Laboratories crew is seeking $29,614. Shipment is expected to begin in October 2015.