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Abstract-In order for an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to drive in off-road terrain at high speeds, it must analyze and understand its surrounding terrain in realtime: it must know where it intends to go, where are the hazards, and many details of the topography of the terrain. Much research has been done in the way of obstacle avoidance, terrain classification, and path planning, but still so few UGV systems can accurately traverse off-road environments at high speeds autonomously. One of the most dangerous hazards found offroad are negative obstacles, mainly because they are so difficult to detect. We present algorithms that analyze the terrain using a point cloud produced by a 3D laser range finder, then attempt to classify the negative obstacles using both a geometry-based method we call the Negative Obstacle DetectoR (NODR) as well as a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. The terrain is analyzed with respect to a large UGV with the sensor mounted up high as well as a small UGV with the sensor mounted low to the ground.

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego has been involved in the continuing development of obstacle avoidance for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) towards the aim of a high level of autonomous navigation. An autonomous USV can fulfill a variety of missions and applications that are of increasing interest for the US Navy and other Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security organizations. The USV obstacle avoidance package is being developed first by accurately creating a world model based on various sensors such as vision, radar, and nautical charts. Then, with this world model the USV can avoid obstacles with the use of a far-field deliberative obstacle avoidance component and a near-field reactive obstacle avoidance component. This paper addresses the advances made in USV obstacle avoidance during the last two years.

Covert, cross-border tunnels are a security vulnerability that enables people and contraband to illegally enter the United States. All of these tunnels to-date have been constructed for the purpose of drug smuggling, but they may also be used to support terrorist activity. Past robotic tunnel exploration efforts have had limited success in aiding law enforcement to explore and map the suspect cross-border tunnels. These efforts have made use of adapted explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) or pipe inspection robotic systems that are not ideally suited to the cross-border tunnel environment. The Counter Tunnel project was sponsored by the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (JGRE) to develop a prototype robotic system for counter-tunnel operations, focusing on exploration, mapping, and characterization of tunnels.The purpose of this system is to provide a safe and effective solution for three-dimensional (3D) localization, mapping, and characterization of a tunnel environment. The system is composed of the robotic mobility platform, the mapping sensor payload, and the delivery apparatus. The system is able to deploy and retrieve the robotic mobility platform through a 20-cm-diameter borehole into the tunnel. This requirement posed many challenges in order to design and package the sensor and robotic system to fit through this narrow opening and be able to perform the mission.This paper provides a short description of a few aspects of the Counter Tunnel system such as mobility, perception, and localization, which were developed to meet the unique challenges required to access, explore, and map tunnel environments.

Covert, cross-border tunnels are a security vulnerability that enables people and contraband to illegally enter the United States. All of these tunnels to-date have been constructed for the purpose of drug smuggling, but they may also be used to support terrorist activity. Past robotic tunnel exploration efforts have had limited success in aiding law enforcement to explore and map the suspect cross-border tunnels. These efforts have made use of adapted explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) or pipe inspection robotic systems that are not ideally suited to the cross-border tunnel environment. The Counter Tunnel project was sponsored by the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (JGRE) to develop a prototype robotic system for counter-tunnel operations, focusing on exploration, mapping, and characterization of tunnels.The purpose of this system is to provide a safe and effective solution for three-dimensional (3D) localization, mapping, and characterization of a tunnel environment. The system is composed of the robotic mobility platform, the mapping sensor payload, and the delivery apparatus. The system is able to deploy and retrieve the robotic mobility platform through a 20-cm-diameter borehole into the tunnel. This requirement posed many challenges in order to design and package the sensor and robotic system to fit through this narrow opening and be able to perform the mission. This paper provides a short description of a few aspects of the Counter Tunnel system such as mobility, perception, and localization, which were developed to meet the unique challenges required to access, explore, and map tunnel environments.