Help with ESP32 DW3000 for Indoor Soccer Positioning System

Other Hardware Robotics
1

I'm working on a project involving five ESP32 DW3000 modules. My goal is to set up an indoor positioning system specifically designed for indoor soccer. I plan to place four anchors around the field and have one module attached to a player to track real-time movement and positioning.

I'm looking for tips on setup, code examples, and best practices to achieve accurate, low-latency tracking in a sports setting. If anyone has experience with UWB, positioning systems, or similar projects, I'd be incredibly grateful for your advice!

Thank you very much in advance!

2

If you go to the product page (the first Google hit for "ESP32 DW3000"), and then scroll down to where it says "Wiki," the linked page has a YouTube video with a demo, and the linked GitHub repo has example code.

3

Thanks!! . have ypu seen any related to any indoor sport?

4

Nope. I would try getting a basic test working first and then think about the indoor sports complexities. It seems to me like one possible risk is attenuated signals for any of the receivers that don't have LOS to the transmitter.

The very easiest way to see what the problems are is just to try it. I would run the demo, with one of the modules on a breadboard with a battery pack. Then I would run back and forth along a line of a known length at varying distances from the other module and see how accurate the measurements are.

5

This is a great use of UWB for sports tracking! For your anchor setup, mount them at least 1-2 meters high in each corner of the field to maximize coverage and minimize obstructions. The DW3000's two-way ranging should work well, but consider adding simple error-checking in your code to handle occasional signal drops during fast movements.

For latency, keep your ranging intervals tight (50-100ms updates) and use lightweight filtering. The ESP32's dual-core helps—run ranging on one core and positioning math on the other. Would love to hear how your field tests go!

6

UWB Sports Tracking System Overview

This code implements a sports tracking system using UWB (DW3000) with ESP32:

  • Uses DS-TWR for centimeter-accurate distance measurements

  • Employs weighted trilateration with 4 anchors for precise 2D positioning

  • Features Kalman filtering to smooth measurements during rapid athlete movements

  • Implements TDMA slot allocation to prevent tag collision

  • Includes error recovery for signal drops during intense play

  • Optimized for low latency (50-100ms updates)

  • Real-time visualization via embedded web server

  • MQTT integration for data logging and analysis

I'm planning to upload this project to GitHub and would appreciate feedback on:

  • Potential optimization opportunities

  • Ideas for improving accuracy during high-speed movements

  • Suggestions for better filtering techniques

  • Implementation tips for multi-player tracking

  • Battery optimization strategies

What improvements would you recommend for sports tracking applications?

github

7

How many anchors and tags can the system support and track at one time?

What is the maximum position update rate?

3D positioning seems essential.

It would be helpful if the github site included example data from realistic field testing and statistics on the positional accuracy obtained.

8

Here is the actual version : GitHub - nicogarrr/TFG-UWB