Robotics MobileRobot Navigation, Phase I

The proposed effort will result in a navigational system that will enable a vehicle to autonomously move to a specified location in a GPS denied environment. It would enable a Rover vehicle on a moon or planet to travel without human guidance to a specified waypoint. It would also be useful to guide a spacecraft as it navigates above a small body such as an asteroid. It would be useful to autonomously guide tools such as a sampling arm. It may be suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to progress to a waypoint autonomously. The system is an improvement over existing Rover navigational systems because it is less computationally burdensome – an important feature in space where qualified computers are several generations behind their terrestrial counterparts The proposed navigational system that is based upon the ASC FLASH LidarTM camera would guide land vehicles to an intended destination autonomously while avoiding hazards in a GPS denied environment. The advanced navigation algorithm is designed to function with a computer having small computational power, which makes it suitable for applications such as unmanned air vehicles (UAV) where low SWAP is important. Accurate, lightweight navigational systems that function in GPS denied situations such as tunnels, indoors and in forests would be useful for many civilian and military applications including robotic mobility, enhanced situational awareness and rescue operations. More »