Law of Sines Based Approach for the Accurate Orientation Determination

Abstract. Thanks to developing sensor technologies and autonomous systems, modelling buildings with environmental data and the digital twin approach are becoming increasingly important. This study examines the environmental perception, obstacle detection, and directional correction capabilities of an autonomous vehicle equipped with on board distance sensors integrated with building information modelling (BIM). The vehicle operating around a building detects obstacles through its on board sensors while maintaining its motion parallel to the building wall. Possible angle and direction deviations during movement are determined using the geometry of a triangle formed by three distance measurements taken from specific angles with ultrasonic sensors and the sine theorem. The resulting environmental map from the obtained data will form the basis for digital twin modelling. Instead of using expensive sensors to determine direction, this study uses a method that determines the vehicle's direction using geometry based on the sine theorem and three distance measurements taken from different angles. Field studies have not encountered any adverse events other than erroneous distance measurements due to sensor echo detection. The direction determination method developed in this study is expected to be particularly beneficial for mapping and creating digital twins of buildings.