Signed Distance Function Based Surface Reconstruction of a Submerged Inland Mine Using Continuous-time SLAM. Issue 1 (July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bleier, Michael; Dias, André; Ferreira, António; Pidgeon, John; Almeida, José; Silva, Eduardo; Schilling, Klaus; Nüchter, Andreas
• Is Part Of: IFAC-PapersOnLine. Volume 50:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1139
• Page End: 1144
• Publication Date: 2017-07
• Subjects: marine systems -- underwater mapping -- 3D reconstruction; Automatic control -- Periodicals; 629.805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2017.08.397
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2405-8963

Abstract

Abstract: The planning of mining operations in water filled open-pit mines requires detailed bathymetry to create a mine plan and assess the involved risks. This paper presents postprocessing techniques for creating an improved 3D model from a survey carried out using an autonomous surface vehicle with a multibeam sonar and a GPS/INS navigation system. Inconsistencies of the created point cloud as a result of calibration errors or GPS signal loss are corrected using a continuous-time simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) solution. Signed distance function (SDF) based mapping is employed to fuse the measurements from multiple runs into a consistent representation and reduce sensor noise. From the signed distance function model we reconstruct a 3D surface mesh. We use this terrain model to establish a virtual reality scene for immersive data visualization of the mining operations for testing and planing during development. Results of the proposed approach are demonstrated on a dataset captured in an abandoned submerged inland mine.