Multi-sensor three-dimensional Monte Carlo localization for long-term aerial robot navigation. (26th September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Perez-Grau, Francisco J; Caballero, Fernando; Viguria, Antidio; Ollero, Anibal
• Is Part Of: International journal of advanced robotic systems. Volume 14:Number 5(2017:Sep./Oct.)
• Publication Date: 2017-09-26
• Subjects: Aerial robotics -- localization -- autonomous vehicle navigation; Robotics -- Periodicals; Robotics; Periodicals; 629.892
• DOI: 10.1177/1729881417732757
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1729-8806

Abstract

This article presents an enhanced version of the Monte Carlo localization algorithm, commonly used for robot navigation in indoor environments, which is suitable for aerial robots moving in a three-dimentional environment and makes use of a combination of measurements from an Red, Green, Blue-Depth (RGB-D) sensor, distances to several radio-tags placed in the environment, and an inertial measurement unit. The approach is demonstrated with an unmanned aerial vehicle flying for 10 min indoors and validated with a very precise motion tracking system. The approach has been implemented using the robot operating system framework and works smoothly on a regular i7 computer, leaving plenty of computational capacity for other navigation tasks such as motion planning or control.