A Map Accessibility Analysis Algorithm for Mobile Robot Navigation in Outdoor Environment

Abstract

Autonomous mobile robots have been widely used to perform specific tasks in recent decades. Map accessibility analysis is necessary for those robots to achieve safe and efficient path planning and navigation, especially in outdoor environment where the terrain can be uneven. Researchers have done sufficient works on the influences of different factors. However, integrating these factors is still a great challenge since the information of some constraints are only needed for specific robot tasks. In this paper, we firstly build a Three Dimensional (3D) Occupancy Grid Map (OctoMap) using a 3D Lidar and encoder-based odometer, and then extract different factors from the OctoMap and real-time lidar data. In order to analyze the relationship between map accessibility and variety of constraints, we design an open system and propose a map accessibility analysis algorithm to integrate different factors which have influence on mobile robot navigation. The system and algorithm are demonstrated to be efficient via experiments.