An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown Environments
Exploration of spatial processes, such as radioactivity or temperature is a fundamental task in many robotic applications. In the literature, robotic exploration is mainly carried out for applications where the environment is a priori known. However, for most real life applications this assumption o...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/13/3663 |
| _version_ | 1797563695367192576 |
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| author | Valentina Karolj Alberto Viseras Luis Merino Dmitriy Shutin |
| author_facet | Valentina Karolj Alberto Viseras Luis Merino Dmitriy Shutin |
| author_sort | Valentina Karolj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Exploration of spatial processes, such as radioactivity or temperature is a fundamental task in many robotic applications. In the literature, robotic exploration is mainly carried out for applications where the environment is a priori known. However, for most real life applications this assumption often does not hold, specifically for disaster scenarios. In this paper, we propose a novel integrated strategy that allows a robot to explore a spatial process of interest in an unknown environment. To this end, we build upon two major blocks. First, we propose the use of GP to model the spatial process of interest, and process entropy to drive the exploration. Second, we employ registration algorithms for robot mapping and localization, and frontier-based exploration to explore the environment. However, map and process exploration can be conflicting goals. Our integrated strategy fuses the two aforementioned blocks through a trade-off between process and map exploration. We carry out extensive evaluations of our algorithm in simulated environments with respect to different baselines and environment setups using simulated GP data as a process at hand. Additionally, we perform experimental verification with a mobile holonomic robot exploring a simulated process in an unknown labyrinth environment. Demonstrated results show that our integrated strategy outperforms both frontier-based and GP entropy-driven exploration strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:47:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-12f6cf82f6f443ea812d1f0e18c86349 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:47:06Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-12f6cf82f6f443ea812d1f0e18c863492023-11-20T05:24:13ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202020-06-012013366310.3390/s20133663An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown EnvironmentsValentina Karolj0Alberto Viseras1Luis Merino2Dmitriy Shutin3Service Robotics Laboratory, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Crta. Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, SpainGerman Aerospace Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Weßling, GermanyService Robotics Laboratory, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Crta. Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, SpainGerman Aerospace Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Weßling, GermanyExploration of spatial processes, such as radioactivity or temperature is a fundamental task in many robotic applications. In the literature, robotic exploration is mainly carried out for applications where the environment is a priori known. However, for most real life applications this assumption often does not hold, specifically for disaster scenarios. In this paper, we propose a novel integrated strategy that allows a robot to explore a spatial process of interest in an unknown environment. To this end, we build upon two major blocks. First, we propose the use of GP to model the spatial process of interest, and process entropy to drive the exploration. Second, we employ registration algorithms for robot mapping and localization, and frontier-based exploration to explore the environment. However, map and process exploration can be conflicting goals. Our integrated strategy fuses the two aforementioned blocks through a trade-off between process and map exploration. We carry out extensive evaluations of our algorithm in simulated environments with respect to different baselines and environment setups using simulated GP data as a process at hand. Additionally, we perform experimental verification with a mobile holonomic robot exploring a simulated process in an unknown labyrinth environment. Demonstrated results show that our integrated strategy outperforms both frontier-based and GP entropy-driven exploration strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/13/3663Gaussian processexplorationmappingautonomous robotsmobile robotsinformation gathering |
| spellingShingle | Valentina Karolj Alberto Viseras Luis Merino Dmitriy Shutin An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown Environments Sensors Gaussian process exploration mapping autonomous robots mobile robots information gathering |
| title | An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown Environments |
| title_full | An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown Environments |
| title_fullStr | An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown Environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown Environments |
| title_short | An Integrated Strategy for Autonomous Exploration of Spatial Processes in Unknown Environments |
| title_sort | integrated strategy for autonomous exploration of spatial processes in unknown environments |
| topic | Gaussian process exploration mapping autonomous robots mobile robots information gathering |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/13/3663 |
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