An information-based exploration strategy for environment mapping with mobile robots

The availability of efficient mapping systems to produce accurate representations of initially unknown environments is recognized as one of the main requirements for autonomous mobile robots. In this paper, we present an efficient mapping system that has been implemented on a mobile robot equipped with a laser range scanner. The system builds geometrical point-based maps of environments employing an information-based exploration strategy that determines the best observation positions by taking into account both the distance travelled and the information gathered. Our exploration strategy, being based on solid mathematical foundations, differs from many ad hoc exploration strategies proposed in literature. We present: (a) the theoretical aspects of the criterion for determining the best observation positions for a robot building a map, (b) the implementation of a mapping system that uses the proposed criterion, and (c) the experimental validation of our approach.