Globally consistent mapping of large-scale passageway environments

Navigation and mapping are important subtasks in mobile robotics, particularly in large-scale passageway environments (e.g., in underground mines) where satellite GPS is not available. What makes robotic mapping in such environments especially challenging is the problem of identifying when the robot has returned to an already traversed area. This paper reports on the concept development and implementation of algorithms intended to achieve global consistency in generated maps, which might subsequently be used for navigation purposes. Presented are preliminary results from trials conducted in the Carleton University underground tunnel network using a SICK laser rangefinder and Pioneer P3-DX robot.

[1]  Wolfram Burgard,et al.  A system for volumetric robotic mapping of abandoned mines , 2003, 2003 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.03CH37422).

[2]  Robert F. Stengel,et al.  Optimal Control and Estimation , 1994 .

[3]  Tom Duckett,et al.  Scan registration for autonomous mining vehicles using 3D‐NDT , 2007, J. Field Robotics.

[4]  Xinzheng Zhang,et al.  A Comparative Study of Three Mapping Methodologies , 2007, J. Intell. Robotic Syst..

[5]  Sebastian Thrun,et al.  Robotic mapping: a survey , 2003 .

[6]  Evangelos E. Milios,et al.  Globally Consistent Range Scan Alignment for Environment Mapping , 1997, Auton. Robots.

[7]  Paul J. Besl,et al.  A Method for Registration of 3-D Shapes , 1992, IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell..

[8]  Alberto Elfes,et al.  Using occupancy grids for mobile robot perception and navigation , 1989, Computer.