D. Fox, J. Ko, K. Konolige, B. Limketkai, D. Schulz,
and B. Stewart.
Distributed Multi-Robot
Exploration and Mapping
Proc. of the IEEE, 2006
Abstract
Efficient exploration of unknown environments is a fundamental problem
in mobile robotics. In this paper we present an approach to
distributed multi-robot mapping and exploration. Our system enables
teams of robots to efficiently explore environments from different,
unknown locations. In order to ensure consistency when combining their
data into shared maps, the robots actively seek to verify their
relative locations. Using shared maps, they coordinate their
exploration strategies so as to maximize the efficiency of
exploration. Our system was evaluated under extremely realistic
real-world conditions. An outside evaluation team found the system to
be highly efficient and robust. The maps generated by our approach are
consistently more accurate than those generated by manually measuring
the locations and extensions of rooms and objects.
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