Concept and application of LPM - a novel 3-D local position measurement system

Precise measurement of the local position of moveable targets in three dimensions is still considered to be a challenge. With the presented local position measurement technology, a novel system, consisting of small and lightweight measurement transponders and a number of fixed base stations, is introduced. The system is operating in the 5.8-GHz industrial-scientific-medical band and can handle up to 1000 measurements per second with accuracies down to a few centimeters. Mathematical evaluation is based on a mechanical equivalent circuit. Measurement results obtained with prototype boards demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed technology in a practical application at a race track.