Localization with Directional Coordinates

A coordinate system is proposed that replaces the usual three-dimensional Cartesian x,y,z position coordinates, for use in robotic localization applications. Range, azimuth, and elevation measurement models become greatly simplified, and, unlike spherical coordinates, the proposed coordinates do not suffer from the same kinematic singularities and angle wrap-around. When compared to Cartesian coordinates, the proposed coordinate system results in a significantly enhanced ability to represent the true distribution of robot positions, ultimately leading to large improvements in state estimation consistency.