Abstract—Accurate vehicle positioning is very important factor in many safety applications of vehicle Ad-Hoc networks (VANETs). Two approaches for vehicle positioning have been studied in the literature: global positioning system (GPS) and cooperative positioning system. In this paper we propose MIMO-based vehicle positioning system (MVPS) for vehicular networks. MVPS exploits the spatial channels of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system. Antenna elements of MIMO system are embodied in proper positions around the vehicle’s body. Because of the space separation between antennas elements, signals concurrently transmitted from multiple transmit antennas can easily be separated using their unique fading characteristics. By estimating the distance from each antenna of the transmitting vehicle to each antenna of the receiving vehicle, we can proximate vehicle’s position and driving direction. To evaluate the accuracy of MVPS using OPNET Modular we create a simulation model that includes all the vehicular network details for urban area. Comparing the estimated vehicle positioning, obtained from the simulation, to the exact vehicle position, MVPS achieves very high positioning accuracy.

Index Terms—ITS, VANETs, vehicle positioning.

The author is with the Computer Networks Department, College of Information and Technology, University of Tripoli, Libya.

Cite:Abduladhim Ashtaiwi, "MIMO-Based Vehicle Positioning System for Vehicular Networks," International Journal of Computer and Communication Engineering vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 318-326, 2015.