A frontier-based approach for autonomous exploration

  • Authors:

  • B. Yamauchi

  • Affiliations:

  • -

  • Venue:
  • CIRA '97 Proceedings of the 1997 IEEE International Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Robotics and Automation
  • Year:
  • 1997

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Abstract

We introduce a new approach for exploration based on the concept of frontiers, regions on the boundary between open space and unexplored space. By moving to new frontiers, a mobile robot can extend its map into new territory until the entire environment has been explored. We describe a method for detecting frontiers in evidence grids and navigating to these frontiers. We also introduce a technique for minimizing specular reflections in evidence grids using laser-limited sonar. We have tested this approach with a real mobile robot, exploring real-world office environments cluttered with a variety of obstacles. An advantage of our approach is its ability to explore both large open spaces and narrow cluttered spaces, with walls and obstacles in arbitrary orientation.