Cooperative Localization in Wireless Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks

Call for Papers

One of the major requirements for most applications based on wireless ad hoc and sensor networks is accurate node localization. In fact, sensed data without position information is often less useful.

Due to several factors (e.g., cost, size, power), only a small fraction of nodes obtain the position information of the anchor nodes. In this case, a node has to estimate its position without a direct interaction with anchor nodes and a cooperation between nodes is needed in a multihop fashion. In some applications, none of the nodes are aware of their absolute position (anchor-free) and only relative coordinates are estimated instead.

Most works reported in the literature have studied cooperative localization with the emphasis on algorithms. However, very few works give emphasis on the localization as estimation or on the investigation of fundamental performance limits as well as on experimental activities. In particular, the fundamental performance limits of multihop and anchor-free positioning in the presence of unreliable measurements are not yet well established. The knowledge of such limits can also help in the design and comparison of new low-complexity and distributed localization algorithms. Thus, measurement campaigns in the context of cooperative localization to validate the algorithms as well as to derive statistical models are very valuable.

The goal of this special issue is to bring together contributions from signal processing, communications and related communities, with particular focus on signal processing, new algorithm design methodologies, and fundamental limitations of cooperative localization systems. Papers on the following and related topics are solicited:

  • anchor-based and anchor-free distributed and cooperative localization algorithms that can cope with unreliable range measurements
  • derivation of fundamental limits in multihop and anchor-free localization scenarios
  • new localization algorithms design methodologies based, for example, on statistical inference and factor graphs
  • low-complexity and energy-efficient distributed localization algorithms
  • distributed ranging and time synchronization techniques
  • measurement campaigns and statistical channel modeling
  • algorithm convergence issues
  • UWB systems
  • localization through multiple-antenna systems
  • experimental results

Authors should follow the EURASIP JASP manuscript format described at the journal site http://www.hindawi.com/journals/asp/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the EURASIP JASP Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/, according to the following timetable:

Manuscript DueAugust 1, 2007
First Round of ReviewsDecember 1, 2007
Publication DateApril 1, 2008

Guest Editors:

  • Davide Dardari, WiLAB, Department of Electronics, Computer Science and Systems (DEIS), University of Bologna at Cesena, Italy
  • Chia-Chin Chong, DoCoMo Communications Laboratories USA, Inc., Palo Alto, CA 94304-1201, USA
  • Damien B. Jourdan, Athena Technologies, Inc., Warrenton, VA 20187, USA
  • Lorenzo Mucchi, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy