Design of obstacle detection and avoidance system for GUANAY II AUV

Postprint (published version

AutonoVi: Autonomous Vehicle Planning with Dynamic Maneuvers and Traffic Constraints

We present AutonoVi:, a novel algorithm for autonomous vehicle navigation that supports dynamic maneuvers and satisfies traffic constraints and norms. Our approach is based on optimization-based maneuver planning that supports dynamic lane-changes, swerving, and braking in all traffic scenarios and guides the vehicle to its goal position. We take into account various traffic constraints, including collision avoidance with other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists using control velocity obstacles. We use a data-driven approach to model the vehicle dynamics for control and collision avoidance. Furthermore, our trajectory computation algorithm takes into account traffic rules and behaviors, such as stopping at intersections and stoplights, based on an arc-spline representation. We have evaluated our algorithm in a simulated environment and tested its interactive performance in urban and highway driving scenarios with tens of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. These scenarios include jaywalking pedestrians, sudden stops from high speeds, safely passing cyclists, a vehicle suddenly swerving into the roadway, and high-density traffic where the vehicle must change lanes to progress more effectively.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Wavefront Propagation and Fuzzy Based Autonomous Navigation

Path planning and obstacle avoidance are the two major issues in any navigation system. Wavefront propagation algorithm, as a good path planner, can be used to determine an optimal path. Obstacle avoidance can be achieved using possibility theory. Combining these two functions enable a robot to autonomously navigate to its destination. This paper presents the approach and results in implementing an autonomous navigation system for an indoor mobile robot. The system developed is based on a laser sensor used to retrieve data to update a two dimensional world model of therobot environment. Waypoints in the path are incorporated into the obstacle avoidance. Features such as ageing of objects and smooth motion planning are implemented to enhance efficiency and also to cater for dynamic environments

Design of the obstacle detection system with the SONAR MK3 on Guanay II AUV

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) perform inspection missions and intervention in known and unknown environments, where it is necessary to ensure their safety. The AUV must have the ability to detect and avoid obstacles in the path of navigation. This article, an obstacle detection system for experimental Guanay II AUV is proposed, using a mechanical scanning SONAR Tritech Micron MK3. Since Guanay II operates autonomously, we have designed software that allows adjustment and control of the parameters of SONAR, and the acquisition and processing of the signals obtained. Experimental tests at sea have allowed to verify the correct operation of software designed, as well as, experimental tests in a controlled environment have allowed to determine the optimal values of the basic parameters of SONAR.Postprint (published version

Airborne mapping of complex obstacles using 2D Splinegon

This paper describes a recently proposed algorithm in mapping the unknown obstacle in a stationary environment where the obstacles are represented as curved in nature. The focus is to achieve a guaranteed performance of sensor based navigation and mapping. The guaranteed performance is quantified by explicit bounds of the position estimate of an autonomous aerial vehicle using an extended Kalman filter and to track the obstacle so as to extract the map of the obstacle. This Dubins path planning algorithm is used to provide a flyable and safe path to the vehicle to fly from one location to another. This description takes into account the fact that the vehicle is made to fly around the obstacle and hence will map the shape of the obstacle using the 2D-Splinegon technique. This splinegon technique, the most efficient and a robust way to estimate the boundary of a curved nature obstacles, can provide mathematically provable performance guarantees that are achievable in practice

Fault-tolerant formation driving mechanism designed for heterogeneous MAVs-UGVs groups

A fault-tolerant method for stabilization and navigation of 3D heterogeneous formations is proposed in this paper. The presented Model Predictive Control (MPC) based approach enables to deploy compact formations of closely cooperating autonomous aerial and ground robots in surveillance scenarios without the necessity of a precise external localization. Instead, the proposed method relies on a top-view visual relative localization provided by the micro aerial vehicles flying above the ground robots and on a simple yet stable visual based navigation using images from an onboard monocular camera. The MPC based schema together with a fault detection and recovery mechanism provide a robust solution applicable in complex environments with static and dynamic obstacles. The core of the proposed leader-follower based formation driving method consists in a representation of the entire 3D formation as a convex hull projected along a desired path that has to be followed by the group. Such an approach provides non-collision solution and respects requirements of the direct visibility between the team members. The uninterrupted visibility is crucial for the employed top-view localization and therefore for the stabilization of the group. The proposed formation driving method and the fault recovery mechanisms are verified by simulations and hardware experiments presented in the paper

Efficient Autonomous Navigation for Planetary Rovers with Limited Resources

Rovers operating on Mars are in need of more and more autonomous features to ful ll their challenging mission requirements. However, the inherent constraints of space systems make the implementation of complex algorithms an expensive and difficult task. In this paper we propose a control architecture for autonomous navigation. Efficient implementations of autonomous features are built on top of the current ExoMars navigation method, enhancing the safety and traversing capabilities of the rover. These features allow the rover to detect and avoid hazards and perform long traverses by following a roughly safe path planned by operators on ground. The control architecture implementing the proposed navigation mode has been tested during a field test campaign on a planetary analogue terrain. The experiments evaluated the proposed approach, autonomously completing two long traverses while avoiding hazards. The approach only relies on the optical Localization Cameras stereobench, a sensor that is found in all rovers launched so far, and potentially allows for computationally inexpensive long-range autonomous navigation in terrains of medium difficulty