{"ID":2822605,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02184","arxiv_id":"2601.02184","title":"Differential Barometric Altimetry for Submeter Vertical Localization and Floor Recognition Indoors","abstract":"Accurate altitude estimation and reliable floor recognition are critical for mobile robot localization and navigation within complex multi-storey environments. In this paper, we present a robust, low-cost vertical estimation framework leveraging differential barometric sensing integrated within a fully ROS-compliant software package. Our system simultaneously publishes real-time altitude data from both a stationary base station and a mobile sensor, enabling precise and drift-free vertical localization. Empirical evaluations conducted in challenging scenarios -- such as fully enclosed stairwells and elevators, demonstrate that our proposed barometric pipeline achieves sub-meter vertical accuracy (RMSE: 0.29 m) and perfect (100%) floor-level identification. In contrast, our results confirm that standalone height estimates, obtained solely from visual- or LiDAR-based SLAM odometry, are insufficient for reliable vertical localization. The proposed ROS-compatible barometric module thus provides a practical and cost-effective solution for robust vertical awareness in real-world robotic deployments. The implementation of our method is released as open source at https://github.com/witsir/differential-barometric.","short_abstract":"Accurate altitude estimation and reliable floor recognition are critical for mobile robot localization and navigation within complex multi-storey environments. In this paper, we present a robust, low-cost vertical estimation framework leveraging differential barometric sensing integrated within a fully ROS-compliant so...","url_abs":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02184","url_pdf":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.02184v1","authors":"[\"Yuhang Zhang\",\"Sören Schwertfeger\"]","published":"2026-01-05T15:03:55Z","proceeding":"cs.RO","tasks":"[\"cs.RO\"]","methods":"[]","has_code":false,"code_links":[{"ID":605426,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_id":2822605,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02184","paper_title":"Differential Barometric Altimetry for Submeter Vertical Localization and Floor Recognition Indoors","repo_url":"https://github.com/witsir/differential-barometric","is_official":false,"mentioned_in_paper":false,"mentioned_in_github":true,"github_stars":0}]}