Robotic mapping with simple sensing and processing hardware — Algorithm and architecture

This paper considers the problem of generating a map of an indoor environment by a mobile robot when constraints are placed on sensing and processing hardware. In particular, we present an algorithm for Voronoi diagram generation by a mobile robot equipped merely with inexpensive ultrasonic sensors and a low-end Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device. The algorithm is based on the definition of the Voronoi diagram in terms of the perpendicular-bisector. Deviations from the Voronoi diagram of the (reference) point on the robot are corrected by a novel algorithm that is devoid of division and floating-point operations. An efficient architecture and experiments with an FPGA-based robot are also presented.

[1]  Tomaz Slivnik,et al.  Constructing the generalized local Voronoi diagram from laser range scanner data , 2000, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Part A.

[2]  K. Sridharan,et al.  Hardware-Efficient Prediction-Correction-Based Generalized-Voronoi-Diagram Construction and FPGA Implementation , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[3]  Ken Hughes,et al.  A parallel algorithm and architecture for robot path planning , 1994, Proceedings of 8th International Parallel Processing Symposium.

[4]  Satoshi Kagami,et al.  Stereo vision terrain modeling for non-planar mobile robot mapping and navigation , 2004, 2004 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37583).

[5]  Howie Choset,et al.  Sensor-Based Exploration: Incremental Construction of the Hierarchical Generalized Voronoi Graph , 2000, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[6]  Howie Choset,et al.  Mobile robot navigation: issues in implementating the generalized Voronoi graph in the plane , 1996, 1996 IEEE/SICE/RSJ International Conference on Multisensor Fusion and Integration for Intelligent Systems (Cat. No.96TH8242).

[7]  R. Mahkovic Construction of the generalized Voronoi diagram of the unknown environment , 1999, ISIE '99. Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (Cat. No.99TH8465).

[8]  Oskar Mencer,et al.  Application of Reconfigurable CORDIC Architectures , 1998, Conference Record of Thirty-Second Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers (Cat. No.98CH36284).

[9]  Ren C. Luo,et al.  Autonomous mobile robot global motion planning and geometric beacon collection using traversability vectors , 1997, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..

[10]  Y. Qu,et al.  Flight path planning of UAV based on heuristically search and genetic algorithms , 2005, 31st Annual Conference of IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, 2005. IECON 2005..

[11]  Panagiotis Tzionas,et al.  Collision-free path planning for a diamond-shaped robot using two-dimensional cellular automata , 1997, IEEE Trans. Robotics Autom..