Figure 6: Map of urban terrain generated by Wayfarer UGV
Figure 4 shows a Wayfarer UGV climbing over a large rock using its automatic flipper deployment behavior. Figure 5 shows a Wayfarer UGV performing autonomous perimeter reconnaissance in urban terrain. Figure 6 shows a map of an urban environment autonomously generated by a Wayfarer UGV during perimeter reconnaissance. The black areas in the map correspond to open space; the white areas correspond to obstacles; and the gray areas are unknown territory. The green line shows the path taken the robot. This path was determined autonomously by the robot with no user-supplied path, waypoint, or terrain information needed.
This map was generated using LIDAR for obstacle detection. GPS was not used to generate this map. Instead the UGV determined its position using a hybrid odometry/compass localization system that provides robust position information in GPS-denied areas. The blue lines are spaced at 10 meter intervals, and the total area of the map is approximately 5000 square meters.
Figure 7: Ruggedized Wayfarer navigation payload
We have recently developed a ruggedized version of the Wayfarer navigation payload (Figure 7) that includes LIDAR, stereo vision, and INS/GPS capabilities within a weather-proof housing. We plan to integrate the Nomadics Fido sensor with this rugged payload to provide Fireseeker with a battlefield-ready operational capability.
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