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Mobile Robotics: Localization and SLAM

This document discusses key issues in mobile robot autonomy such as localization and mapping. Localization is the process of determining a robot's pose or location within its environment. Mapping is the process of generating a map of the environment. The document outlines popular algorithms for localization including Markov localization, Kalman filters, and particle filters which represent probability distributions over robot poses. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) aims to solve localization and mapping simultaneously by incorporating location and map uncertainties into a single model. The document also discusses the kidnapped robot problem and global localization without an initial location reference.

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Ragini Bhagavatham
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13 views15 pages

Mobile Robotics: Localization and SLAM

This document discusses key issues in mobile robot autonomy such as localization and mapping. Localization is the process of determining a robot's pose or location within its environment. Mapping is the process of generating a map of the environment. The document outlines popular algorithms for localization including Markov localization, Kalman filters, and particle filters which represent probability distributions over robot poses. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) aims to solve localization and mapping simultaneously by incorporating location and map uncertainties into a single model. The document also discusses the kidnapped robot problem and global localization without an initial location reference.

Uploaded by

Ragini Bhagavatham
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Mobile Robotics

Julie Letchner
Angeline Toh
Mark Rosetta
Fundamental Idea: Robot Pose

 2D world (floor plan)


 3 DOF

Very simple model—the difficulty is in autonomy


Major Issues with Autonomy

 Movement  Sensor
Inaccuracy Inaccuracy

 Environmental
Uncertainty
Problem One: Localization

Given:
 World map
 Robot’s initial pose
 Sensor updates

Find:
 Robot’s pose as it moves
How do we Solve Localization?

 Represent beliefs as a probability density


 Markov assumption
Pose distribution at time t conditioned on:
pose dist. at time t-1
movement at time t-1
sensor readings at time t
 Discretize the density by
sampling
Localization Foundation
At every time step t:
UPDATE each sample’s new location based on movement
RESAMPLE the pose distribution based on sensor readings
Algorithms
 Markov localization (simplest)
 Kalman filters (historically most popular)
 Monte Carlo localization / particle filters

Same: Sampled probability distribution


Basic update-resample loop
Different: Sampling techniques
Movement assumptions
Localization’s Sidekick:
Globalization
 Localization without knowledge of
start location

Credit to Dieter Fox for this demo

 One step further: “kidnapped robot problem”


Problem Two: Mapping

Given:
 Robot
 Sensors
Find:
 Map of the environment
(and implicitly, the robot’s
location as it moves)
Simultaneous Localization
And Mapping (SLAM)

If we have a map:
We can localize!

If we can localize:
We can make a map!
Circular Error Problem

If we have a map:
We can localize!

NOT THAT SIMPLE!


If we can localize:
We can make a map!
How do we Solve SLAM?
 Incorporate location/map uncertainties
into a single model
 Optimize robot’s exploratory path

 Use geometry (especially indoors)

Major hurdle:
correlation problem
Credit to Sebastian Thrun for this demo
For the Interested
Good overview papers by Sebastian Thrun:
“Probabilistic Algorithms in Robotics”, 2000
“Robotic Mapping: A Survey”, 2002
Stanford course: cs225B
Build a Markov Localization engine
Run it on Amigobots to play soccer
Up Next…
Mobile robot example: Underwater robots
Localization is only useful if we’re mobile…
…so how do these robots move?

Emergent Behaviors
Mobile robots more powerful in groups…
…but localization is expensive…
…so what can we do without localization?

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