Lidar-Based Navigation of Subterranean Environments Using Bio-Inspired Wide-Field Integration of Nearness

Navigating unknown environments is an ongoing challenge in robotics. Processing large amounts of sensor data to maintain localization, maps of the environment, and sensible paths can result in high compute loads and lower maximum vehicle speeds. This paper presents a bio-inspired algorithm for effic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22; no. 3; p. 849
Main Authors Ohradzansky, Michael T, Humbert, J Sean
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 23.01.2022
MDPI
Subjects
Algorithms
Animals
Autonomous navigation
bio-inspired navigation
Caves
Control algorithms
Convergence
Electric fields
Estimates
Feedback
Flow velocity
Global positioning systems
GPS
Insects
Optical radar
quadrotor control
Remote sensing
Robotics
Robots
sensorimotor convergence
Sensors
Signal processing
subterranean exploration
Traffic speed
Unknown environments
Weighting functions
subterranean exploration
quadrotor control
sensorimotor convergence
bio-inspired navigation
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Summary:Navigating unknown environments is an ongoing challenge in robotics. Processing large amounts of sensor data to maintain localization, maps of the environment, and sensible paths can result in high compute loads and lower maximum vehicle speeds. This paper presents a bio-inspired algorithm for efficiently processing depth measurements to achieve fast navigation of unknown subterranean environments. Animals developed efficient sensorimotor convergence approaches, allowing for rapid processing of large numbers of spatially distributed measurements into signals relevant for different behavioral responses necessary to their survival. Using a spatial inner-product to model this sensorimotor convergence principle, environmentally relative states critical to navigation are extracted from spatially distributed depth measurements using derived weighting functions. These states are then applied as feedback to control a simulated quadrotor platform, enabling autonomous navigation in subterranean environments. The resulting outer-loop velocity controller is demonstrated in both a generalized subterranean environment, represented by an infinite cylinder, and nongeneralized environments like tunnels and caves.
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ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s22030849