| Content This MSc-thesis project holds significant importance in the field of robotics and autonomous navigation, particularly in the context of ground robots operating in challenging terrains. The ability to perform real-time path planning on large-scale uneven terrain with dynamic obstacles is a critical requirement for various applications, such as search and rescue missions, environmental monitoring, and autonomous transportation. These terrains present a variety of challenges, including variations in slope, roughness, and dynamic obstacles. Conventional 2D indoor navigation techniques, while mature and widely used, often fall short when applied to uneven terrain with dynamic obstacles. These methods are typically designed for controlled environments and cannot adapt to the complexities of outdoor, unpredictable terrains. Real-time path planning is a fundamental aspect of autonomous navigation. It involves making on-the-fly decisions about the robot's trajectory, considering its current state, the environment, and any dynamic changes. Effective real-time path planning is crucial for ensuring the safety and success of missions in challenging terrains. |
| Scope Introducing the visionary concept of autonomous ground robot navigation on uneven terrain and its potential to revolutionize the field of robotics. These advanced systems are expected to integrate cutting-edge technologies such as point data perception, path-planning algorithms, dynamic obstacle detection and avoidance strategies to navigate challenging landscapes. Within this framework, terrain sensing and perception is first employed, emphasizing the vital role of perceiving terrain data to estimate surface characteristics such as variations in slope and roughness. Complementing surface characteristics, dynamic obstacles are detected and obstacle avoidance strategies are used to dynamically adjust the robot's path for safe and efficient navigation. Then the terrain pose mapping is built to describe the impact of terrain on the robot which enables ground robots to respond to changing terrain conditions in real-time, ensuring safe and efficient navigation while avoiding steep or rugged areas whenever possible. Additionally, the analysis of uncertainty management and robustness entails an exploration of strategies for handling surface uncertainty, a common challenge in navigating uneven terrain, to ensure that ground robots remain robust and effective in unpredictable environments. |
| Deliverables This MSc-thesis project will consist of the following: A literature study concerning the following topics:An overview of available 3D map models to represent uneven terrain considering surface uncertainty and useful theories to estimate terrain slope, roughness.A terrain pose map is analysed to describe how terrain affect robot. It provides a comprehensive introduction to robot motion, focusing on key concepts such as velocity dynamics and frame transformation.Formulation of terrain traversability, terrain uncertainty and dynamics model incorporation as a real-time path planning problem based on smoothness and safety of robot’s path.Dynamic obstacles detection algorithms and are analysed obstacle avoidance algorithms are explored to dynamically adjust the robot's path.Implementation report detailing the implementation of surface perception, surface characteristics estimation, terrain pose mapping, dynamic obstacle detection and avoidance methods to address the problem of ground robot navigation on uneven terrain. This includes an optimization of qualities of planned trajectories, considering terrain properties and obstacle dynamics.Presentation of numerical simulations demonstrating the application of the above methods to perform a real-time robot navigation on uneven terrain with dynamic obstacle. This deliverable will provide insights into the assessment of robot’s trajectories and the feasibility of planned trajectories.An analysis of the influence of terrain estimation uncertainties, as well as the effects of accuracy of terrain’ map and dynamic obstacle’s localization. This report will provide an understanding of the system's resilience to uncertainties and terrain-related challenges.A project summary report that consolidates the findings, methodologies, and insights gained throughout the project. This report will include an introduction, literature review, methodology, simulation results, analysis, and conclusions, serving as a comprehensive reference for the research conducted. |
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