Terrain Mapping For Long-duration Autonomous Walking

Abstract

We describe the perception system for the Ambler, an autonomous, legged mobile robot that operates in rugged environments. The Ambler's perception system uses 3-D laser range images to construct elevation maps of the local terrain, processing hundreds of images and thousands of elevation points during a walking experiment. This paper presents the design, implementation, and analysis of a perception system to meet the needs of long-duration walking, emphasizing issues of perforumnce, accuracy, and reliability.