Path planning from terrain data

Short range planning

Our motion planners decide how to move the robot through the workspace or terrain as safely and efficiently as possible.  They work from maps, overhead imagery, and three-dimensional models of the area to find the best path to the robots’ goal.  Our feature detection software allows motion planners to find and avoid terrain hazards, stationary obstacles, moving obstacles, and people.  Of particular challenge are situations in which competing constraints and objectives force a robot to consider many options before moving.

Our robots navigate crowded museum lobbies, steep volcanic slopes, city streets, farm fields, and orchards.  They can handle a wide variety of off-road terrain, including new and old growth forests, rolling grasslands, desert scrub, swamps, badlands, and alpine slopes.

As a mobile robot moves, it needs to measure its relative and absolute position. We have extensive experience in applying GPS and inertial positioning systems. We also developed techniques for estimating position in areas with limited or no GPS availability.