Active SLAM: A Review On Last Decade

This article presents a comprehensive review of the Active Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (A-SLAM) research conducted over the past decade. It explores the formulation, applications, and methodologies employed in A-SLAM, particularly in trajectory generation and control-action selection, drawing on concepts from Information Theory (IT) and the Theory of Optimal Experimental Design (TOED). This review includes both qualitative and quantitative analyses of various approaches, deployment scenarios, configurations, path-planning methods, and utility functions within A-SLAM research. Furthermore, this article introduces a novel analysis of Active Collaborative SLAM (AC-SLAM), focusing on collaborative aspects within SLAM systems. It includes a thorough examination of collaborative parameters and approaches, supported by both qualitative and statistical assessments. This study also identifies limitations in the existing literature and suggests potential avenues for future research. This survey serves as a valuable resource for researchers seeking insights into A-SLAM methods and techniques, offering a current overview of A-SLAM formulation.Comment: 34 pages, 8 figures, 6 table

Development towards autonomous navigation and automatic handling of palletized freight units by an autonomous vehicle with forks

In the mobile robots community, particular interest in research in autonomous vehicles has been carried out extensively since the last decade. However, the role of mobile robots capable of delivering freight for the last-mile delivery solution is still under study. Freight Urban Robotic vehicle; FURBOT is one such vehicle that is being developed continuously for the last-mile delivery solution. The difference in this vehicle is the capability to load the freight into itself without physical human intervention. Currently, the vehicle is a complete drive-by-wire vehicle, and studies are being conducted to introduce autonomous capabilities in the vehicle. This thesis is an attempt forward in that direction. Three different aspects of the vehicle, which include; autonomous navigation, autonomous freight handling capabilities, and technical management associated with this upgrading, are studied in this thesis. A mathematical model for the vehicle was built for autonomous navigation, which did not exist beforehand for the vehicle. After developing the model, obstacle avoidance techniques were created, and the controller was verified for the proposed methods. The highlight of the thesis involves enhancing the capabilities of an already built freight handling structure. This involves upgrading the pre-existing pallet handling robot, parking pose generation for autonomous freight handling and the design of the approach to the specific parking pose. To complete the vehicle\u2019s journey from a drive-by-wire to an autonomous vehicle, in-depth analysis is performed, incorporating studies for the vehicle\u2019s amalgamation in the urban environment. Additionally, handover strategies are also studied in case of the vehicle fails during its autonomous drive. The outcome of this research produced multiple enhancements for the vehicle, including independent parking pose generation, correct categorization of the vehicle, software and hardware requirements, conservation of energy in pallet handling robot, and designing digital twin for the vehicle. Extensive simulation-based validations are carried out for the proposed research, which produced desirable results for the vehicle and thus has created a baseline for the way forward for converting the vehicle into a complete autonomous one

Evolution vers la navigation autonome et la manutention automatique d'unités de fret palettisées par un véhicule autonome à fourches

In the mobile robots community, particular interest in research in autonomous vehicles has been carried out extensively since the last decade. However, the role of mobile robots capable of delivering freight for the last-mile delivery solution is still under study. Freight Urban Robotic vehicle; FURBOT is one such vehicle that is being developed continuously for the last-mile delivery solution. The difference in this vehicle is the capability to load the freight into itself without physical human intervention. Currently, the vehicle is a complete drive-by-wire vehicle, and studies are being conducted to introduce autonomous capabilities in the vehicle. This thesis is an attempt forward in that direction. Three different aspects of the vehicle, which include; autonomous navigation, autonomous freight handling capabilities, and technical management associated with this upgrading, are studied in this thesis. A mathematical model for the vehicle was built for autonomous navigation, which did not exist beforehand for the vehicle. After developing the model, obstacle avoidance techniques were created, and the controller was verified for the proposed methods. The highlight ofthe thesis involves enhancing the capabilities of an already built freight handling structure. This involves upgrading the pre-existing pallet handling robot, parking pose generation for autonomous freight handling and the design of the approach to the specific parking pose. To complete the vehicle’s journey from a drive-by-wire to an autonomous vehicle, in-depth analysis is performed, incorporating studies for the vehicle’s amalgamation in the urban environment. Additionally, handover strategies are also studied in case of the vehicle fails during its autonomous drive. The outcome of this research produced multiple enhancements for the vehicle, including independent parking pose generation, correct categorization of the vehicle, software and hardware requirements, conservation of energy in pallet handling robot, and designing digital twin for the vehicle. Extensive simulation-based validations are carried out for the proposed research, which produced desirable results for the vehicle andthus has created a baseline for the way forward for converting the vehicle into a complete autonomous one.Dans la communauté des robots mobiles, la recherche sur les véhicules autonomes fait l’objet d’un intérêt particulier depuis la dernière décennie. Cependant, le rôle des robots mobiles capables de livrer des marchandises comme solution de livraison sur le dernier kilomètre est toujours à l’étude. Le véhicule robotique urbain de transport de marchandises (FURBOT) est l’un de ces véhicules qui est développé en permanence pour résoudre le problème de livraison du dernier kilomètre. La spécificité de ce véhicule est la capacité de charger des marchandises dans le véhicule sans intervention humaine physique. Actuellement, ce véhicule est un véhicule piloté électroniquement et des études sont menées pour introduire des capacités autonomes dans le véhicule. Cette thèse est une tentative dans cette direction. Trois aspects différents du véhicule, à savoir la navigation autonome, les capacités de manutention autonome des marchandises et la gestion technique associée à cette mise à niveau, sont étudiés dans cette thèse. Pour la navigation autonome, un modèle mathématique du véhicule a été construit, ce qui n’existait pas auparavant pour le véhicule. Après le développement du modèle, des techniques d’évitement d’obstacles ont été développées et le contrôleur a été vérifié pour les techniques proposées. Le point fort de la thèse concerne l’amélioration des capacités de la structure de manutention de marchandises déjà construite. Cela implique l’amélioration du robot de manutention de palettes préexistant, la génération d’une position de stationnement pour la manutention autonome de marchandises et la conception de la trajectoire d’approche de la position de stationnement spécifique. Pour achever le passage d’un véhicule à conduite par câble à un véhicule autonome, une analyse approfondie est effectuée qui comprend des études pour l’intégration du véhicule dans l’environnement urbain. En outre, des stratégies de transfert sont également étudiées en cas de défaillance du véhicule pendant sa conduite autonome. Le résultat de cette recherche a permis d’apporter de nombreuses améliorations au véhicule, notamment la génération d’une position de stationnement autonome, la catégorisation correcte du véhicule, les exigences logicielles et matérielles du véhicule, la conservation de l’énergie dans le robot de manutention de palettes et la conception d’un jumeau numérique pour le véhicule. Des validationsbasées sur des simulations extensives ont été effectuées pour la recherche proposée ont produit des résultats souhaitables pour le véhicule et ont ainsi créé une base pour la voie à suivre afin de convertir le véhicule en un véhicule complètement autonome

Parking Pose Generation for Autonomous Freight Collection by Pallet Handling Car-like Robot

This paper focuses on autonomous navigation for an electric freight vehicle designed to collect freight autonomously using pallet handling robots installed in the vehicle. Apart from autonomous vehicle navigation, the primary hurdle for vehicle autonomy is the autonomous collection of freight irrespective of freight orientation/location. This research focuses on generating parking pose for the vehicle irrespective of the orientation of freight for its autonomous collection. Freight orientation is calculated by capturing the freight through onboard sensors. Afterward, this information creates a parking pose using mathematical equations and knowledge of the vehicle and freight collection limitations. Separate parking spots are generated for separate loading bays of the vehicle depending on the availability of the loading bay. Finally, results are captured and verified for different orientations of freight to conclude the research