168 research outputs found
Informative Path Planning for Active Field Mapping under Localization Uncertainty
Information gathering algorithms play a key role in unlocking the potential
of robots for efficient data collection in a wide range of applications.
However, most existing strategies neglect the fundamental problem of the robot
pose uncertainty, which is an implicit requirement for creating robust,
high-quality maps. To address this issue, we introduce an informative planning
framework for active mapping that explicitly accounts for the pose uncertainty
in both the mapping and planning tasks. Our strategy exploits a Gaussian
Process (GP) model to capture a target environmental field given the
uncertainty on its inputs. For planning, we formulate a new utility function
that couples the localization and field mapping objectives in GP-based mapping
scenarios in a principled way, without relying on any manually tuned
parameters. Extensive simulations show that our approach outperforms existing
strategies, with reductions in mean pose uncertainty and map error. We also
present a proof of concept in an indoor temperature mapping scenario.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submission (revised) to Robotics & Automation
Letters (and IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
Obstacle-aware Adaptive Informative Path Planning for UAV-based Target Search
Target search with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is relevant problem to
many scenarios, e.g., search and rescue (SaR). However, a key challenge is
planning paths for maximal search efficiency given flight time constraints. To
address this, we propose the Obstacle-aware Adaptive Informative Path Planning
(OA-IPP) algorithm for target search in cluttered environments using UAVs. Our
approach leverages a layered planning strategy using a Gaussian Process
(GP)-based model of target occupancy to generate informative paths in
continuous 3D space. Within this framework, we introduce an adaptive replanning
scheme which allows us to trade off between information gain, field coverage,
sensor performance, and collision avoidance for efficient target detection.
Extensive simulations show that our OA-IPP method performs better than
state-of-the-art planners, and we demonstrate its application in a realistic
urban SaR scenario.Comment: Paper accepted for International Conference on Robotics and
Automation (ICRA-2019) to be held at Montreal, Canad
Persistent ocean monitoring with underwater gliders: Adapting sampling resolution
Ocean processes are dynamic and complex and occur on multiple spatial and temporal scales. To obtain a synoptic view of such processes, ocean scientists collect data over long time periods. Historically, measurements were continually provided by fixed sensors, e.g., moorings, or gathered from ships. Recently, an increase in the utilization of autonomous underwater vehicles has enabled a more dynamic data acquisition approach. However, we still do not utilize the full capabilities of these vehicles. Here we present algorithms that produce persistent monitoring missions for underwater vehicles by balancing path following accuracy and sampling resolution for a given region of interest, which addresses a pressing need among ocean scientists to efficiently and effectively collect high-value data. More specifically, this paper proposes a path planning algorithm and a speed control algorithm for underwater gliders, which together give informative trajectories for the glider to persistently monitor a patch of ocean. We optimize a cost function that blends two competing factors: maximize the information value along the path while minimizing deviation from the planned path due to ocean currents. Speed is controlled along the planned path by adjusting the pitch angle of the underwater glider, so that higher resolution samples are collected in areas of higher information value. The resulting paths are closed circuits that can be repeatedly traversed to collect long-term ocean data in dynamic environments. The algorithms were tested during sea trials on an underwater glider operating off the coast of southern California, as well as in Monterey Bay, California. The experimental results show improvements in both data resolution and path reliability compared to previously executed sampling paths used in the respective regions.United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms (NA05NOS4781228)National Science Foundation (U.S.). Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CCR-0120778)National Science Foundation (U.S.). (Grant number CNS-0520305)National Science Foundation (U.S.). (Grant number CNS-0540420)United States. Office of Naval Research. Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (N00014-09-1-1031)United States. Office of Naval Research. Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (N00014-08-1-0693)United States. Office of Naval Research. Service-Oriented Architectur
Multiresolution mapping and informative path planning for UAV-based terrain monitoring
© 2017 IEEE. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can offer timely and cost-effective delivery of high-quality sensing data. However, deciding when and where to take measurements in complex environments remains an open challenge. To address this issue, we introduce a new multiresolution mapping approach for informative path planning in terrain monitoring using UAVs. Our strategy exploits the spatial correlation encoded in a Gaussian Process model as a prior for Bayesian data fusion with probabilistic sensors. This allows us to incorporate altitude-dependent sensor models for aerial imaging and perform constant-time measurement updates. The resulting maps are used to plan information-rich trajectories in continuous 3-D space through a combination of grid search and evolutionary optimization. We evaluate our framework on the application of agricultural biomass monitoring. Extensive simulations show that our planner performs better than existing methods, with mean error reductions of up to 45% compared to traditional 'lawnmower' coverage. We demonstrate proof of concept using a multirotor to map color in different environments
Learning excursion sets of vector-valued Gaussian random fields for autonomous ocean sampling
Improving and optimizing oceanographic sampling is a crucial task for marine
science and maritime resource management. Faced with limited resources in
understanding processes in the water-column, the combination of statistics and
autonomous systems provide new opportunities for experimental design. In this
work we develop efficient spatial sampling methods for characterizing regions
defined by simultaneous exceedances above prescribed thresholds of several
responses, with an application focus on mapping coastal ocean phenomena based
on temperature and salinity measurements. Specifically, we define a design
criterion based on uncertainty in the excursions of vector-valued Gaussian
random fields, and derive tractable expressions for the expected integrated
Bernoulli variance reduction in such a framework. We demonstrate how this
criterion can be used to prioritize sampling efforts at locations that are
ambiguous, making exploration more effective. We use simulations to study and
compare properties of the considered approaches, followed by results from field
deployments with an autonomous underwater vehicle as part of a study mapping
the boundary of a river plume. The results demonstrate the potential of
combining statistical methods and robotic platforms to effectively inform and
execute data-driven environmental sampling
Streaming Scene Maps for Co-Robotic Exploration in Bandwidth Limited Environments
This paper proposes a bandwidth tunable technique for real-time probabilistic
scene modeling and mapping to enable co-robotic exploration in communication
constrained environments such as the deep sea. The parameters of the system
enable the user to characterize the scene complexity represented by the map,
which in turn determines the bandwidth requirements. The approach is
demonstrated using an underwater robot that learns an unsupervised scene model
of the environment and then uses this scene model to communicate the spatial
distribution of various high-level semantic scene constructs to a human
operator. Preliminary experiments in an artificially constructed tank
environment as well as simulated missions over a 10m10m coral reef
using real data show the tunability of the maps to different bandwidth
constraints and science interests. To our knowledge this is the first paper to
quantify how the free parameters of the unsupervised scene model impact both
the scientific utility of and bandwidth required to communicate the resulting
scene model.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for presentation in IEEE Int. Conf. on
Robotics and Automation, ICRA '19, Montreal, Canada, May 201
Adaptive sampling for spatial prediction in environmental monitoring using wireless sensor networks: A review
© 2018 IEEE. The paper presents a review of the spatial prediction problem in the environmental monitoring applications by utilizing stationary and mobile robotic wireless sensor networks. First, the problem of selecting the best subset of stationary wireless sensors monitoring environmental phenomena in terms of sensing quality is surveyed. Then, predictive inference approaches and sampling algorithms for mobile sensing agents to optimally observe spatially physical processes in the existing works are analysed
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