Range-Free Positioning in NB-IoT Networks by Machine Learning: Beyond WkNN

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Range-Free Positioning in NB-IoT Networks by Machine Learning: Beyond WkNN
Authors: De Nardis, Luca, Savelli, Marco, Caso, Giuseppe, Ferretti, Federico, Tonelli, Lorenzo, Bouzar, Nadir, Brunstrom, Anna, 1967, Alay, Ozgu, Neri, Marco, Bokour, Fouzia Elbahhar, Di Benedetto, Maria-Gabriella
Source: IEEE JOURNAL OF INDOOR AND SEAMLESS POSITIONING AND NAVIGATION. 3:53-69
Subject Terms: Meters, Accuracy, Fingerprint recognition, Internet of Things, 3GPP, Performance evaluation, Position measurement, Global navigation satellite system, Navigation, Support vector machines, Machine learning (ML), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), positioning, weighted k nearest neighbors (Wk-NN), Computer Science, Datavetenskap
Description: Existing proposals for positioning in narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) networks based on range estimation are characterized by either low accuracy or lack of compliance with 3GPP standards. While range-free approaches taking advantage of machine learning (ML) have been recently proposed as a potential way forward, their evaluation has been carried out only in simulated environments, with the exception of weighted k nearest neighbors (WkNN), recently tested on experimental data. This work investigates five ML strategies for range-free positioning in NB-IoT networks, based on WkNN and its combination with preprocessing and classification algorithms as well as on artificial neural networks (ANNs). The strategies are evaluated on experimental data and are compared based on a set of key performance indicators measuring both positioning performance and processing load. Two different datasets taken at different times and locations were adopted, enabling the validation of strategies optimized on one testbed on the other, as well as the study of the impact of dataset features on performance. Results show that range-free positioning using ML is a viable solution in commercial NB-IoT networks, and that WkNN and ANNs are at the two extremes in terms of a performance/complexity tradeoff; intermediate tradeoffs can be achieved by combining WkNN with preprocessing techniques and classification models.
File Description: electronic
Access URL: https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-104592
https://doi.org/10.1109/JISPIN.2025.3558465
Database: SwePub
Description
Abstract:Existing proposals for positioning in narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) networks based on range estimation are characterized by either low accuracy or lack of compliance with 3GPP standards. While range-free approaches taking advantage of machine learning (ML) have been recently proposed as a potential way forward, their evaluation has been carried out only in simulated environments, with the exception of weighted k nearest neighbors (WkNN), recently tested on experimental data. This work investigates five ML strategies for range-free positioning in NB-IoT networks, based on WkNN and its combination with preprocessing and classification algorithms as well as on artificial neural networks (ANNs). The strategies are evaluated on experimental data and are compared based on a set of key performance indicators measuring both positioning performance and processing load. Two different datasets taken at different times and locations were adopted, enabling the validation of strategies optimized on one testbed on the other, as well as the study of the impact of dataset features on performance. Results show that range-free positioning using ML is a viable solution in commercial NB-IoT networks, and that WkNN and ANNs are at the two extremes in terms of a performance/complexity tradeoff; intermediate tradeoffs can be achieved by combining WkNN with preprocessing techniques and classification models.
ISSN:28327322
DOI:10.1109/JISPIN.2025.3558465