Pose Estimation With Low-Resolution Bearing-Only Sensors

Date
2012
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Abstract

Pose estimation of neighboring robots is a key requirement for configuration control behaviors in multi-robot systems. Estimating pose is difficult without system constraints, it is even more challenging when using minimalistic sensing alongside limited bandwidth. Minimal sensing models are a well studied field in robotics and are relevant to our particular hardware platform, the r-one, which has sensors that only measure a low-resolution bearing to neighboring robots. These bearing-only sensors are simpler to design with and cheaper to deploy in large numbers. In this thesis, I focus on the r-one multi-robot system which is capable of coarsely measuring the bearing, but not the distance, to neighbors. These sensors have a angular resolution of only 22.5 degrees due to the construction of the infrared system. I develop a particle filter algorithm that allows the r-one robot to estimate the pose of a neighbor using the infrared communication system and odometry measurements. This algorithm relies on the fusion of a coarse bearing measurement and neighbor velocities and is optimized to use the smallest communications bandwidth possible. I tested this algorithm with a simulation to demonstrate its effectiveness across varying sensor setups, neighbor update periods, and number of particles.

Description
Degree
Master of Science
Type
Thesis
Keywords
Applied sciences, Computer science
Citation

Rykowski, Joshua B.. "Pose Estimation With Low-Resolution Bearing-Only Sensors." (2012) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/70421.

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