Positioning system and method for vertical shaft heading machine

The invention provides a positioning system and method for a vertical shaft heading machine. According to the positioning system, according to the structure of the vertical shaft heading machine, an operation personnel activity area is divided into nine layers of platforms including a first layer of hanging scaffold, a second layer of hanging scaffold, a third layer of hanging scaffold, a fourth layer of hanging scaffold, a lower part of the fourth layer of hanging scaffold, an oil tank platform, a stabilizer platform, a peripheral oil cylinder and a cutter head ladder way; the positioning system comprises nine positioning units which are respectively arranged on nine hierarchical platforms of the vertical shaft heading machine; each positioning unit is used for positioning an operator through a positioning tag carried by the operator; each positioning unit comprises a layer judgment base station and two positioning base stations, the center of a layer platform where the positioning units are located serves a