A cooperative localization process to calculate the absolute position of at least one apparatus to be localized and belonging to a plurality of cooperating apparatuses able to cooperate, through the exchange of messages and data, in the localization of said apparatus to be localized, said cooperating apparatuses being equipped with at least one direct, apparatus-to-apparatus radio transmission and reception system for exchanging messages and data on radio links, means for estimating the distance between apparatuses of said plurality of cooperating apparatuses, storage and processing means, said plurality of cooperating apparatuses including at least one controller apparatus which has the role of managing said localization process, said process being characterized by comprising the following steps performed by said controller apparatus: a) selecting a set of apparatuses, named explorers (119; 123; 107; 109), equipped with at least one radio transceiver system able to broadcast and receive radio signals in the areas respectively surrounding each of said explorers; b) instructing each of said explorers (119; 123; 107; 109) to emit a search signal, said search signal being addressed to all of the apparatuses that can receive it and containing a response request; c) collecting, through at least one radio transceiver system, the response messages to said search signal coming from a set of apparatuses, named responding apparatuses (111, 107, 127, 123; 109, 128, 125; 102, 101) that received said search signal wherein if one of said responding apparatuses (125, 102, 117) is characterized by its absolute position, said absolute position is inserted in the related response message, adding said responding apparatuses to said plurality of cooperating apparatuses, and calculating, through said distance estimation means, the distances between said responding apparatuses between which said radio links are set up for the transmission and reception of signals and messages, wherein the set of said radio links and said plurality of cooperating apparatuses to which said radio links connect constituting a network named localization network; d) acquiring and processing said response messages and said distances by means of said storage and processing means, so as to create a data set which represents said localization network; e) checking if said data set acquired and processed in step d) is sufficient to calculate the absolute position of said apparatus to be localized; f) if the check in step e) indicates that said data set is sufficient, calculating the absolute position of said apparatus to be localized on the basis of said data, or g) if the check in step e) indicates that said data set is not sufficient, repeating steps a) b) c) and d), unless a predetermined event has occurred, wherein said predetermined event comprises checking at least one of the following conditions: g1) exceeding a predetermined elapsed time limit running from the beginning of said cooperative localization process; g2) exceeding a predetermined limit on the total number of cooperating apparatuses involved in said localization network. a) selecting a set of apparatuses, named explorers (119; 123; 107; 109), equipped with at least one radio transceiver system able to broadcast and receive radio signals in the areas respectively surrounding each of said explorers; b) instructing each of said explorers (119; 123; 107; 109) to emit a search signal, said search signal being addressed to all of the apparatuses that can receive it and containing a response request; c) collecting, through at least one radio transceiver system, the response messages to said search signal coming from a set of apparatuses, named responding apparatuses (111, 107, 127, 123; 109, 128, 125; 102, 101) that received said search signal wherein if one of said responding apparatuses (125, 102, 117) is characterized by its absolute position, said absolute position is inserted in the related response message, adding said responding apparatuses to said plurality of cooperating apparatuses, and calculating, through said distance estimation means, the distances between said responding apparatuses between which said radio links are set up for the transmission and reception of signals and messages, wherein the set of said radio links and said plurality of cooperating apparatuses to which said radio links connect constituting a network named localization network; d) acquiring and processing said response messages and said distances by means of said storage and processing means, so as to create a data set which represents said localization network; e) checking if said data set acquired and processed in step d) is sufficient to calculate the absolute position of said apparatus to be localized; f) if the check in step e) indicates that said data set is sufficient, calculating the absolute position of said apparatus to be localized on the basis of said data, or g) if the check in step e) indicates that said data set is not sufficient, repeating steps a) b) c) and d), unless a predetermined event has occurred, wherein said predetermined event comprises checking at least one of the following conditions: g1) exceeding a predetermined elapsed time limit running from the beginning of said cooperative localization process; g2) exceeding a predetermined limit on the total number of cooperating apparatuses involved in said localization network. g1) exceeding a predetermined elapsed time limit running from the beginning of said cooperative localization process; g2) exceeding a predetermined limit on the total number of cooperating apparatuses involved in said localization network.