Simultaneous localization and map-building using active vision

An active approach to sensing can provide the focused measurement capability over a wide field of view which allows correctly formulated Simultaneous Localization and Map-Building (SLAM) to be implemented with vision, permitting repeatable long-term localization using only naturally occurring, automatically-detected features. In this paper, we present the first example of a general system for autonomous localization using active vision, enabled here by a high-performance stereo head, addressing such issues as uncertainty-based measurement selection, automatic map-maintenance, and goal-directed steering. We present varied real-time experiments in a complex environment.Published versio

Probabilistic Surfel Fusion for Dense LiDAR Mapping

With the recent development of high-end LiDARs, more and more systems are able to continuously map the environment while moving and producing spatially redundant information. However, none of the previous approaches were able to effectively exploit this redundancy in a dense LiDAR mapping problem. In this paper, we present a new approach for dense LiDAR mapping using probabilistic surfel fusion. The proposed system is capable of reconstructing a high-quality dense surface element (surfel) map from spatially redundant multiple views. This is achieved by a proposed probabilistic surfel fusion along with a geometry considered data association. The proposed surfel data association method considers surface resolution as well as high measurement uncertainty along its beam direction which enables the mapping system to be able to control surface resolution without introducing spatial digitization. The proposed fusion method successfully suppresses the map noise level by considering measurement noise caused by laser beam incident angle and depth distance in a Bayesian filtering framework. Experimental results with simulated and real data for the dense surfel mapping prove the ability of the proposed method to accurately find the canonical form of the environment without further post-processing.Comment: Accepted in Multiview Relationships in 3D Data 2017 (IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision Workshops

Computation of the optimal relative pose between overlapping grid maps through discrepancy minimization

Grid maps are a common environment representation in mobile robotics. Many Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) solutions divide the global map into submaps, forming some kind of graph or tree to represent the structure of the environment, while the metric details are captured in the submaps. This work presents a novel algorithm that is able to compute a physically feasible relative pose between two overlapping grid maps. Our algorithm can be used for correspondence search (data association), but also for integrating negative information in a unified way. This paper proposes a discrepancy measure between two overlapping grid maps and its application in a quasi Newton optimization algorithm, with the hypothesis that minimizing such discrepancy could provide useful information for SLAM. Experimental evidence is provided showing the high potential of the algorithm

Real-Time Monocular SLAM With Low Memory Requirements

International audienceThe localization of a vehicle in an unknown environment is often solved using Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) techniques. Many methods have been developed , each requiring a different amount of landmarks (map size) , and so of memory , to work efficiently. Similarly , the required computational time is quite variable from one approach to another. In this paper , we focus on the monocular SLAM problem and propose a new method , called MSLAM , based on an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). The aim is to provide a solution that has low memory and processing time requirements and that can achieve good localization results while benefiting from the EKF advantages (direct access to the covariance matrix , no conversion required for the measures or the state). To do so , a minimal Cartesian representation (3 parameters for 3 dimensions) is used. However , linearization errors are likely to happen with such a representation. New methods allowing to avoid or hugely decrease the impact of the linearization failures are presented. The first contribution proposed here computes a proper projection of a 3D uncertainty in the image plane , allowing to track landmarks during longer periods of time. A corrective factor of the Kalman gain is also introduced. It allows to detect wrong updates and correct them , thus reducing the impact of the linearization on the whole system. Our approach is compared to a classic SLAM implementation over different data sets and conditions so as to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed contributions. The quality of the map built is tested by using it with another vehicle for localization purposes. Finally , a public data set , presenting a long trajectory (1. 3 km) is also used in order to compare MSLAM to a state-of-the-art monocular EKF-SLAM algorithm , both in terms of accuracy and computational needs