一种基于声纳信息的地图创建方法

地图创建是实现机器人在未知环境中自主导航的关键。该文对移动机器人在地图创建中所收集的不确定传感信息进行研究,分析声纳传感器的散射和镜面反射特性,提出一种改进的概率栅格的地图创建方法。该方法将距离信任因子引入到声纳传感器模型。利用该模型,实现移动机器人的自主地图创建,并有效地减少由于声纳传感器所引起的不确定性。通过机器人平台上进行的实验表明该方法的有 效性。     

移动机器人地图创建中的不确定传感信息处理

该文研究移动机器人自主创建地图中的不确定传感信息处理问题,基于灰色系统理论 提出了一种新的对传感信息进行解释和融合的方法用于声纳信息的处理,并以此建立环境的栅 格地图.声纳的传感信息存在较大的不确定性,这里引入灰数的概念来表示和处理这种不确定 性,对于机器人在不同位置的测量结果,根据灰色系统理论对信息的理解方式设计融合方法,得 到一个对环境的整体表示.通过仿真环境和真实机器人平台上进行的创建地图实验,表明这种 方法具有良好的鲁棒性和准确度.     

基于灰色定性理论的移动机器人地图创建

针对移动机器人自主导航地图创建中超声波信息存在不确定性的问题,提出一种新的基于灰色定性理论的超声波信息解释和融合的方法,并用于处理超声波传感器信息和移动机器人创建环境地图．首先,引入概率灰数对超声波信息的不确定性进行描述,以获得栅格单元和传感器的概率灰数模型;然后,设计超声波传感器新旧信息的融合方法,从而得到环境地图的整体表示;最后通过地图创建仿真实验结果表明了这种方法具有良好的鲁棒性和准确度．     

Map building through pseudo dense scan matching using visual sonar data

This paper presents a novel approach to the vision based grid map building and localization problem that works in a complex indoor environment with a single forward viewing camera. Most existing visual SLAM has been limited to the feature-based method and only a few researchers have proposed visual SLAM methods for building a grid map using a stereo vision system which has not been popular in practical application. In this paper, we estimate the planar depth by applying a simple visual sonar ranging technique to the single camera image and then associating sequential scans through our own pseudo dense adaptive scan matching algorithm reducing the processing time compared to the standard point-to-point correspondence based algorithm and finally produce a grid map. To this end, we construct a Pseudo Dense Scan (PDS) which is an odometry based temporal accumulation of the visual sonar readings emulating omni-directional sensing in order to overcome the sparseness of the visual sonar. Moreover, in order to obtain a much more refined map, we further correct the slight trajectory error incurred in the PDS construction step using Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) which is a well-known optimization scheme. Experimental results show that our method can obtain an accurate grid map using a single camera without the need for a high price range sensors or stereo camera.

General Feature Extraction for Mapping and Localization of a Mobile Robot Using Sparsely Sampled Sonar Data

This study introduces a method of general feature extraction for building a map and localization of a mobile robot using only sparsely sampled sonar data. Sonar data are acquired by using a general fixed-type sensor ring that frequently provides false returns on the locations of objects. We first suggest a data association filter that can classify sets of sonar data that are associated with the same hypothesized feature into one group. A feature extraction method is then introduced to decide the exact geometric parameters of the hypothesized feature in the group. We also show the possibility of extracting a circle feature consistently as well as a line or a point feature by using the proposed filter. These features are then assembled to build a global map and applied to extended Kalman filter-based localization of the robot. We demonstrate the validity of the proposed filter with the results of mapping and localization produced by real experiments.     

基于声纳传感器的移动机器人地图创建方法研究*

提出了一种改进的基于声纳传感器信息进行栅格地图创建的方法。将Bayes法则用于移动机器人地图创建,对多个声纳传感器信息进行融合,解决信息间的冲突问题,并根据声纳模型将测量数据集成到局部地图中,改变栅格被障碍物占有的概率。经过坐标变换后,利用Bayes法则更新全局地图中的栅格信息,实现从局部地图到全局地图的更新。实验验证了该算法的可行性与有效性。     

Workspace mapping based on multisensor information fusion using heterogeneous onboard sensors

In recent years, multiple robot systems that perform team operations have been developed. These robot systems are expected to execute complicated tasks smoothly in a given congested workspace. In this article, we propose a workspace mapping algorithm using ultrasonic stereo sonar and an image sensor in order to operate the mobile robots among obstacles. This workspace mapping algorithm involves two steps: (1) the position detection of obstacles using ultrasonic stereo sonar, and (2) the shape detection of obstacles using an image sensor. While each robot moves around in the given workspace, the two steps of the mapping algorithm are repeated and sensor data are collected. The robot measures the distance and the direction of obstacles using ultrasonic stereo sonar. The shape of obstacles is also captured using an onboard image sensor. A workspace map is created based on the sensor data accumulated from the proposed method, and successful results are also obtained through experiments.     

Sonar Sensor-Based Efficient Exploration Method Using Sonar Salient Features and Several Gains

This paper describes a sonar sensor-based exploration method. To build an accurate map in an unknown environment during exploration, a simultaneous localization and mapping problem must be solved. Therefore, a new type of sonar feature called a ??sonar salient feature?? (SS-feature), is proposed for robust data association. The key concept of an SS-feature is to extract circle feature clouds on salient convex objects from environments by associating sets of sonar data. The SS-feature is used as an observation in the extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based SLAM framework. A suitable strategy is needed to efficiently explore the environment. We used utilities of driving cost, expected information about an unknown area, and localization quality. Through this strategy, the exploration method can greatly reduce behavior that leads a robot to explore a previously visited place, and thus shorten the exploration distance. A robot can select a favorable path for localization by localization gain during exploration. Thus, the robot can estimate its pose more robustly than other methods that do not consider localizability during exploration. This proposed exploration method was verified by various experiments, and it ensures that a robot can build an accurate map fully autonomously with sonar sensors in various home environments.     

Effective Maximum Likelihood Grid Map With Conflict Evaluation Filter Using Sonar Sensors

In this paper, we address the problem of building a grid map using cheap sonar sensors, i.e., the problem of using erroneous sensors when seeking to model an environment as accurately as possible. We rely on the inconsistency of information among sonar measurements and the sound pressure of the waves from the sonar sensors to develop a new method of detecting incorrect sonar readings, which is called the conflict evaluation with sound pressure (CEsp). To fuse the correct measurements into a map, we start with the maximum likelihood (ML) approach due to its ability to manage the angular uncertainty of sonar sensors. However, since this approach suffers from heavy computational complexity, we convert it to a light logic problem called the maximum approximated likelihood (MAL) approach. Integrating the MAL approach with the CEsp method results in the conflict evaluated maximum approximated likelihood (CEMAL) approach. The CEMAL approach generates a very accurate map that is close to the map that would be built by accurate laser sensors and does not require adjustment of parameters for various environments.      

基于D-S信息融合的水下机器人地图构建

针对未知动态环境中自治水下机器人(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle,AUV)的路径规划问题,给出一种基 于D-S (Shafer-Dempster)信息融合的水下栅格地图构建算法.首先通过建立一个声纳传感器模型,将声纳数据转换成栅格的信度函数分配值;接着应用D-S证据理论信息融合算法更新地图数据,从而构建出水下动态栅格地图;最后通过真实地图与融合构建地图比较,说明D-S融合算法在地图构建中的可行性.     

单波束前视声纳的信息提取方法研究

介绍了一种可用于小型水下机器人的前视声纳信息提取方法。利用该方法获取了声纳视域内目标的方位信息,这在小型水下机器人的自主目标跟踪和避碰方面具有很大的应用价值。该方法主要包括3个部分的内容:利用声纳数据生成声纳图像;对声纳图像进行预处理;从处理后的图像中提取目标的特征信息。针对图像中较大目标的边缘信息,提出了一种基于最小二乘法的分段曲线拟合的方法,并给出了基于实验室的水池中获得的实测数据的拟合结果,验证了该方法的有效性。     

Autonomous Exploring System Based on Ultrasonic Sensory Information

An autonomous exploring system for a mobile robot is presented in this article. The system consists of an ultrasonic range sensor (URS) module and a novel method for building a map from exploration of an environment. Instead of random exploration, the proposed approach provides a systematic and efficient strategy to build the map by means of some preferential points. Taking a multitude of observations or measurements by sonar sensors, a mobile robot derives a virtual polygonal map from a set of regressed segments, partial prior known environmental information, and some inference rules for vertices. Additionally, the concept of safe zones is also introduced in the system to keep the mobile robot safe during exploration. Based on the identified virtual map, a searching method is used to select a next best observation to collect the most sufficient information. Several experiments are given to demonstrate the performance of this proposed approach.     

Incorporation of Feature Tracking into Simultaneous Localization and Map Building via Sonar Data

Simultaneous Localization and Map building (SLAM) is referred to as the ability of an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) to incrementally extract the surrounding features for estimating its pose in an unknown location and unknown environment. In this paper, we propose a new technique for extraction of significant map features from standard Polaroid sonar sensors to address the SLAM problem. The proposed algorithm explicitly initializes and tracks the line (or wall) features from a comparison between two overlapping sensor measurements buffers. The experimental studies on a Pioneer 2DX mobile robot equipped with sonar sensors suggest that SLAM problem can be solved by the proposed algorithm. The estimated trajectory of AMR from the standard model based on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) localization for the same experiment is also provided for comparison.     

基于混合DSm模型的移动机器人动态环境地图构建

针对移动机器人探测动态未知环境的问题,引入了一种由贝叶斯理论和Dempster-Shafer证据理论（DST）扩展而来的新的信息融合方法——Dezert-Smarandache理论（DSmT）．采用栅格地图,并根据声纳的物理特性,在DSmT框架下建立了声纳的数学模型．运用DSmT中的高级模型,即混合DSm模型,构造了一组基本信度赋值函数（gbbaf）,用以处理动态环境下声纳获取的不确定和不精确信息,甚至于高冲突信息．借助Pioneer2-Dxe移动机器人分别进行了混合DSm模型和DST两种算法的地图构建实验,并绘制了相应的二维基本信度赋值地图．将由混合DSm模型与DST构建出的环境地图进行了比较,充分验证了混合DSm模型在未知动态环境下的有效性,为处理动态高冲突信息提供了有力的理论依据．     

2D/3D information fusion for building extraction from high-resolution satellite stereo images using kernel graph cuts

This study presents a building extraction strategy from High-resolution satellite stereo images (HRSSI) using 2D and 3D information fusion. In the 2D processing strategy, a visible vegetation index (VVI) is generated. In the 3D processing, a disparity map is generated using semi-global matching (SGM). To remove defects from the disparity map, an object-based approach is proposed by using mean-shift image segmentation and extracting rectangles. By removing terrain effects, a normalized disparity map (nDM) is produced. In the next step, vegetation pixels are removed from nDM and an initial building mask is generated. As nDM does not have precise building boundaries, hybrid segmentation by the kernel graph cut (KGC) is applied to the feature space including the RGB, nDM, and VVI and the results are used in a decision level fusion step. By this methodology, segments that are highly intersected with initial building mask are classified as buildings. Finally, a building boundary refinement (BBR) algorithm is applied to buildings for removing the remaining defects. The proposed method is applied to two pairs of GeoEye-1 stereo images including residential and industrial test areas. Evaluation results show the completeness and correctness level of higher than 90% for the two test areas. Further evaluations show that the quality metric has significantly changed after decision level fusion using the KGC.     

Enhanced maximum likelihood grid map with reprocessing incorrect sonar measurements

In this paper, we address the problem of building a grid map as accurately as possible using inexpensive and error-prone sonar sensors. In this research area, incorrect sonar measurements, which fail to detect the nearest obstacle in their beamwidth, generally have been dealt with in the same manner as correct measurements or have been excluded from the mapping. In the former case, the map quality may be severely degraded. In the latter case, the resulting map may have insufficient information after the incorrect measurements are removed because only correct measurements are frequently insufficient to cover the whole environment. We propose an efficient grid-mapping approach that incorporates incorrect measurements in a specialized manner to build a better map; we call this the enhanced maximum likelihood (eML) approach. The eML approach fuses the correct and incorrect measurements into a map based on sub-maps generated from each set of measurements. We also propose the maximal sound pressure (mSP) method to detect incorrect sonar readings using the sound pressure of the waves from sonar sensors. In several indoor experiments, integrating the eML approach with the mSP method achieved the best results in terms of map quality among various mapping approaches. We call this the maximum likelihood based on sub-maps (MLS) approach. The MLS map created using only two sonar sensors exhibited similar accuracy to the reference map, which was an accurate representation of the environment.     

A new multisensor fusion SLAM approach for mobile robots

This paper presents a novel method, which enhances the use of external mechanisms by considering a multisensor system, composed of sonars and a CCD camera. Monocular vision provides redundant information about the location of the geometric entities detected by the sonar sensors. To reduce ambiguity significantly, an improved and more detailed sonar model is utilized. Moreover, Hough transform is used to extract features from raw sonar data and vision image. Information is fused at the level of features. This technique significantly improves the reliability and precision of the environment observations used for the simultaneous localization and map building problem for mobile robots. Experimental results validate the favorable performance of this approach.     

A new algorithm of bearings-only multi-target tracking of bistatic system

Much research mainly focuses on the batch processing method （e.g. maximum likelihood method） when bearings-only multiple targets tracking of bistatic sonar system is considered. In this paper, the idea of recursive processing method is presented and employed, and corresponding data association algorithms, i.e. a multi-objective ant-colony-based optimization algorithm and an easy fast assignment algorithm are developed to solve the measurements-to-measurements and measurements-to-tracks data association problems of bistatic sonar system, respectively. Monte-Carlo simulations are induced to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

Building a sonar map in a specular environment using a singlemobile sensor

The physical properties of acoustic sensors are exploited to obtain information about the environment for sonar map building. A theoretical formulation for interpreting the sensor databases on the physical principles of acoustic propagation and reflection is presented. A characterization of the sonar scan that allows the differentiation of planes, corners, and edges in a specular environment is described. A single sensor mounted on an autonomous vehicle in a laboratory verifies the technique. The implications for sonar map building and the limitations of differentiating elements with one sensor are discussed     

Autonomous topological modeling of a home environment and topological localization using a sonar grid map

This paper presents a method of autonomous topological modeling and localization in a home environment using only low-cost sonar sensors. The topological model is extracted from a grid map using cell decomposition and normalized graph cut. The autonomous topological modeling involves the incremental extraction of a subregion without predefining the number of subregions. A method of topological localization based on this topological model is proposed wherein a current local grid map is compared with the original grid map. The localization is accomplished by obtaining a node probability from a relative motion model and rotational invariant grid-map matching. The proposed method extracts a well-structured topological model of the environment, and the localization provides reliable node probability even when presented with sparse and uncertain sonar data. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed topological modeling and localization in a real home environment.