Evaluation of UWB positioning performance under the influence of plants in Mediterranean greenhouses
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/ja-cea.2026.47.13813Keywords:
Robotics in Agriculture, Mobile Robotics, Indoor positioning system, Agriculture localizationAbstract
This study analyzes the effect of plants on the communication and accuracy of an Indoor Positioning System (IPS) based on ultrasound and ultra-wideband (UWB) using a reduced number of 4 beacons. An obstacle-free laboratory environment was compared against a Mediterranean greenhouse with high vegetation density, maintaining a nominal configuration in both scenarios. In the laboratory, a mean error between 0.12~m and 0.18~m (RMSE between 0.36~m and 0.45~m) was achieved, whereas, in the greenhouse, the foliar mass and rows generated severe signal loss and attenuation conditions. The physical interference of the foliage critically degraded accuracy, elevating the mean error to a range of 0.33~m to 0.42~m (RMSE between 0.50~m and 0.59~m). The results quantify the negative impact of plant architecture on telemetry, providing key data for the use of this technology in Mediterranean greenhouses.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Fernando Cañadas-Aranega, José F. Maqueda, José C. Moreno
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