Related papers: A Map-Free LiDAR-Based System for Autonomous Navig…
Localization, or position fixing, is an important problem in robotics research. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for long-term localization in a changing environment using 3D LiDAR. We first create the map of a real environment…
This research was a part of a project that developed mobile robots that performed targeted pollen spraying and automated harvesting in pergola structured kiwifruit orchards. Multiple kiwifruit detachment mechanisms were designed and field…
Consistent maps are key for most autonomous mobile robots, and they often use SLAM approaches to build such maps. Loop closures via place recognition help to maintain accurate pose estimates by mitigating global drift, and are thus key for…
Autonomous agricultural vehicles (AAVs), including field robots and autonomous tractors, are becoming essential in modern farming by improving efficiency and reducing labor costs. A critical task in AAV operations is headland turning…
Precise sensor calibration is critical for autonomous vehicles as a prerequisite for perception algorithms to function properly. Rotation error of one degree can translate to position error of meters in target object detection at large…
Robots are increasingly operating in indoor environments designed for and shared with people. However, robots working safely and autonomously in uneven and unstructured environments still face great challenges. Many modern indoor…
Data collection for forestry, timber, and agriculture currently relies on manual techniques which are labor-intensive and time-consuming. We seek to demonstrate that robotics offers improvements over these techniques and accelerate…
Visual navigation is essential for many applications in robotics, from manipulation, through mobile robotics to automated driving. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) provides an elegant map-free approach integrating image processing,…
This paper details a system for fast visual exploration and search without prior map information. We leverage frontier based planning with both LiDAR and visual sensing and augment it with a perception module that contextually labels points…
In dynamic environments, the ability to detect and track moving objects in real-time is crucial for autonomous robots to navigate safely and effectively. Traditional methods for dynamic object detection rely on high accuracy odometry and…
Enabling robots to autonomously navigate unknown, complex, and dynamic real-world environments presents several challenges, including imperfect perception, partial observability, localization uncertainty, and safety constraints. Current…
This paper presents a fully unsupervised deep change detection approach for mobile robots with 3D LiDAR. In unstructured environments, it is infeasible to define a closed set of semantic classes. Instead, semantic segmentation is…
Reliable long-term deployment of autonomous robots in agricultural environments remains challenging due to perceptual aliasing, seasonal variability, and the dynamic nature of crop canopies. Vineyards, characterized by repetitive row…
For autonomous navigation, accurate localization with respect to a map is needed. In urban environments, infrastructure such as buildings or bridges cause major difficulties to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and, despite…
The LiDAR and inertial sensors based localization and mapping are of great significance for Unmanned Ground Vehicle related applications. In this work, we have developed an improved LiDAR-inertial localization and mapping system for…
Autonomous and safe navigation of tractor-trailer systems requires accurate, real-time collision avoidance and dynamically feasible control, particularly in cluttered and complex agricultural environments. This is challenging due to their…
In robot navigation, generalizing quickly to unseen environments is essential. Hierarchical methods inspired by human navigation have been proposed, typically consisting of a high-level landmark proposer and a low-level controller. However,…
Quadrotors hold significant promise for several applications such as agriculture, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection. Achieving autonomous operation requires systems to navigate safely through complex and unfamiliar…
Deployment of automated ground vehicles (AGVs) beyond the confines of sunny and dry climes will require sub-lane-level positioning techniques based on radio waves rather than near-visible-light radiation. Like human sight, lidar and cameras…
Multiple LiDARs have progressively emerged on autonomous vehicles for rendering a wide field of view and dense measurements. However, the lack of precise calibration negatively affects their potential applications in localization and…