Mobile robot navigation with the use of semantic map constructed from 3D laser range scans

We describe a system allowing a mobile robot equipped with a 3D laser range finder to navigate in the indoor and outdoor environment. A global map of the environment is constructed, and the particle filter algorithm is used in order to accurately determine the position of the robot. Based on data from the laser only, the robot is able to recognize certain classes of objects like a floor, a door, a washbasin, or a wastebasket, and places like corridors or rooms. For complex objects, the recognition process is based on the Haar feature identification. When an object is detected and identified, its position is associated with the appropriate place in the global map, making it possible to give orders to the robot with the use of semantic labels, e.g., "go to the nearest wastebasket ". The obstaclefree path is generated using a Cellular Neural Network, accounting for travel costs with distance or ground quality. This path planning method is fast and in comparison with the potential field method it does not suffer from the local minima problem. We present some results of experiments performed in a real indoor environment.