Laser-based road recognition for a smart electric wheelchair

This paper describes a method of road recognition, which is useful in outdoor environments, using a multi-layered laser range finder (MLRF) for a smart electric wheelchair. Road recognition means detecting the road in front of a wheelchair on which it can travel. The MLRF captures laser scanned images from the road surface and maps them onto a grid map. Paved roads are almost flat and have boundaries such as curbs, ditches or raised edges. We detect road flatness based on random sample consensus (RANSAC) method and estimate the shape of the road boundary based on a cubic (third-ordered) spline. Experimental results in our university campus show the feasibility of our method.

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