Robust Dense Mapping for Large-Scale Dynamic Environments

We present a stereo-based dense mapping algorithm for large-scale dynamic urban environments. In contrast to other existing methods, we simultaneously reconstruct the static background, the moving objects, and the potentially moving but currently stationary objects separately, which is desirable for high-level mobile robotic tasks such as path planning in crowded environments. We use both instance-aware semantic segmentation and sparse scene flow to classify objects as either background, moving, or potentially moving, thereby ensuring that the system is able to model objects with the potential to transition from static to dynamic, such as parked cars. Given camera poses estimated from visual odometry, both the background and the (potentially) moving objects are reconstructed separately by fusing the depth maps computed from the stereo input. In addition to visual odometry, sparse scene flow is also used to estimate the 3D motions of the detected moving objects, in order to reconstruct them accurately. A map pruning technique is further developed to improve reconstruction accuracy and reduce memory consumption, leading to increased scalability. We evaluate our system thoroughly on the well-known KITTI dataset. Our system is capable of running on a PC at approximately 2.5Hz, with the primary bottleneck being the instance-aware semantic segmentation, which is a limitation we hope to address in future work. The source code is available from the project website (http://andreibarsan.github.io/dynslam).Comment: Presented at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 201

Fast, Autonomous Flight in GPS-Denied and Cluttered Environments

One of the most challenging tasks for a flying robot is to autonomously navigate between target locations quickly and reliably while avoiding obstacles in its path, and with little to no a-priori knowledge of the operating environment. This challenge is addressed in the present paper. We describe the system design and software architecture of our proposed solution, and showcase how all the distinct components can be integrated to enable smooth robot operation. We provide critical insight on hardware and software component selection and development, and present results from extensive experimental testing in real-world warehouse environments. Experimental testing reveals that our proposed solution can deliver fast and robust aerial robot autonomous navigation in cluttered, GPS-denied environments.Comment: Pre-peer reviewed version of the article accepted in Journal of Field Robotic

Challenges and solutions for autonomous ground robot scene understanding and navigation in unstructured outdoor environments: A review

The capabilities of autonomous mobile robotic systems have been steadily improving due to recent advancements in computer science, engineering, and related disciplines such as cognitive science. In controlled environments, robots have achieved relatively high levels of autonomy. In more unstructured environments, however, the development of fully autonomous mobile robots remains challenging due to the complexity of understanding these environments. Many autonomous mobile robots use classical, learning-based or hybrid approaches for navigation. More recent learning-based methods may replace the complete navigation pipeline or selected stages of the classical approach. For effective deployment, autonomous robots must understand their external environments at a sophisticated level according to their intended applications. Therefore, in addition to robot perception, scene analysis and higher-level scene understanding (e.g., traversable/non-traversable, rough or smooth terrain, etc.) are required for autonomous robot navigation in unstructured outdoor environments. This paper provides a comprehensive review and critical analysis of these methods in the context of their applications to the problems of robot perception and scene understanding in unstructured environments and the related problems of localisation, environment mapping and path planning. State-of-the-art sensor fusion methods and multimodal scene understanding approaches are also discussed and evaluated within this context. The paper concludes with an in-depth discussion regarding the current state of the autonomous ground robot navigation challenge in unstructured outdoor environments and the most promising future research directions to overcome these challenges

Milestones in Autonomous Driving and Intelligent Vehicles Part II: Perception and Planning

Growing interest in autonomous driving (AD) and intelligent vehicles (IVs) is fueled by their promise for enhanced safety, efficiency, and economic benefits. While previous surveys have captured progress in this field, a comprehensive and forward-looking summary is needed. Our work fills this gap through three distinct articles. The first part, a "Survey of Surveys" (SoS), outlines the history, surveys, ethics, and future directions of AD and IV technologies. The second part, "Milestones in Autonomous Driving and Intelligent Vehicles Part I: Control, Computing System Design, Communication, HD Map, Testing, and Human Behaviors" delves into the development of control, computing system, communication, HD map, testing, and human behaviors in IVs. This part, the third part, reviews perception and planning in the context of IVs. Aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in AD and IVs, this work caters to both newcomers and seasoned researchers. By integrating the SoS and Part I, we offer unique insights and strive to serve as a bridge between past achievements and future possibilities in this dynamic field.Comment: 17pages, 6figures. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: System