Semi-autonomous exploration of multi-floor buildings with a legged robot

Abstract

Semi-autonomous exploration of multi-floor buildings with a legged robot AbstractThis paper presents preliminary results of a semi-autonomous building exploration behavior using the hexapedal robot RHex. Stairwells are used in virtually all multi-floor buildings, and so in order for a mobile robot to effectively explore, map, clear, monitor, or patrol such buildings it must be able to ascend and descend stairwells. However most conventional mobile robots based on a wheeled platform are unable to traverse stairwells, motivating use of the more mobile legged machine. This semi-autonomous behavior uses a human driver to provide steering input to the robot, as would be the case in, e.g., a tele-operated building exploration mission. The gait selection and transitions between the walking and stair climbing gaits are entirely autonomous. This implementation uses an RGBD camera for stair acquisition, which offers several advantages over a previously documented detector based on a laser range finder, including significantly reduced acquisition time. The sensor package used here also allows for considerable expansion of this behavior. For example, complete automation of the building exploration task driven by a mapping algorithm and higher level planner is presently under development. ABSTRACTThis paper presents preliminary results of a semi-autonomous building exploration behavior using the hexapedal robot RHex. Stairwells are used in virtually all multi-floor buildings, and so in order for a mobile robot to effectively explore, map, clear, monitor, or patrol such buildings it must be able to ascend and descend stairwells. However most conventional mobile robots based on a wheeled platform are unable to traverse stairwells, motivating use of the more mobile legged machine. This semi-autonomous behavior uses a human driver to provide steering input to the robot, as would be the case in, e.g., a tele-operated building exploration mission. The gait selection and transitions between the walking and stair climbing gaits are entirely autonomous. This implementation uses an RGBD camera for stair acquisition, which offers several advantages over a previously documented detector based on a laser range finder, including significantly reduced acquisition time. The sensor package used here also allows for considerable expansion of this behavior. For example, complete automation of the building exploration task driven by a mapping algorithm and higher level planner is presently under development.

Autonomous Stairwell Ascent

“…Lastly, this approach to task encoding and execution can be combined with the perceptual capabilities developed in ref. [27] for faster landing exploration.…”

“…The second group focuses on the detection of the stairs themselves. 13,14,16,21,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30] The choice of sensor in this work-a LIDAR as opposed to a camera, 13,14,24 or a depth sensor 16,21,[25][26][27][28][29][30] differentiates how the sensory information about the stairs is generated and how this information is processed to accomplish the detection from these approaches.…”

“…The last group deals with autonomous transitions between flat surface walking and stair ascent under the control of an operator. 15,17,27,31 The transition approach presented in this work follows, 31 as discussed in Section 3.1.…”

Decentralized Multi-Floor Exploration by a Swarm of Miniature Robots Teaming with Wall-Climbing Units

“…Attempts have been made to address these challenges separately: e.g. autonomous multi-floor exploration by a single robot [19], [20], semi-autonomous exploration of multi-floor buildings with a legged robot [21], navigation for service robots in the elevator environment [22], autonomous multifloor navigation by micro-aerial vehicles [23]. However, to the best of our knowledge, the autonomous exploration and monitoring of an unknown indoor space consisting of multiple floors with dynamic features by a fully decentralized MRS remains an open challenge.…”