A multirange architecture for collision-free off-road robot navigation

  • Authors:
  • Pierre Sermanet;Raia Hadsell;Marco Scoffier;Matt Grimes;Jan Ben;Ayse Erkan;Chris Crudele;Urs Miller;Yann LeCun

  • Affiliations:
  • Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10003, Net-Scale Technologies, Morganville, New Jersey 07751;Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10003;Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10003, Net-Scale Technologies, Morganville, New Jersey 07751;Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10003;Net-Scale Technologies, Morganville, New Jersey 07751;Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10003;Net-Scale Technologies, Morganville, New Jersey 07751;Net-Scale Technologies, Morganville, New Jersey 07751;Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10003

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Field Robotics - Special Issue on LAGR Program, Part I
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

We present a multilayered mapping, planning, and command execution system developed and tested on the LAGR mobile robot. Key to robust performance under uncertainty is the combination of a short-range perception system operating at high frame rate and low resolution and a long-range, adaptive vision system operating at lower frame rate and higher resolution. The short-range module performs local planning and obstacle avoidance with fast reaction times, whereas the long-range module performs strategic visual planning. Probabilistic traversability labels provided by the perception modules are combined and accumulated into a robot-centered hyperbolic-polar map with a 200-m effective range. Instead of using a dynamical model of the robot for short-range planning, the system uses a large lookup table of physically possible trajectory segments recorded on the robot in a wide variety of driving conditions. Localization is performed using a combination of global positioning system, wheel odometry, inertial measurement unit, and a high-speed, low-complexity rotational visual odometry module. The end-to-end system was developed and tested on the LAGR mobile robot and was verified in independent government tests. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.