Performance Analysis for Stable Mobile Robot Navigation Solutions

Published

March 20, 2008

Author(s)

Christopher J. Scrapper Jr, Rajmohan Madhavan, Stephen B. Balakirsky

Abstract

Robot navigation in complex, dynamic and unstructured environments demands robust mapping and localization solutions. One of the most popular methods in recent years has been the use of scan-matching schemes where temporally correlated sensor data sets are registered for obtaining a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) navigation solution. The primary bottleneck of such scan-matching schemes is correspondence determination, i.e. associating a feature (structure) in one dataset to its counterpart in the other. Outliers, occlusions, and sensor noise complicate the determination of reliable correspondences. This paper describes testing scenarios being developed at NIST to analyze the performance of scan-matching algorithms. This analysis is critical for the development of practical SLAM algorithms in various application domains where sensor payload, wheel slippage, and power constraints impose severe restrictions. We will present results using a high-fidelity simulation testbed, the Unified System for Automation and Robot Simulation (USARSim).

Proceedings Title

Proceedings of the SPIE Defense and Security Symposium

Conference Dates

March 18-20, 2008

Conference Location

Orlando, FL

Conference Title

SPIE Defense and Security Symposium 2008

Pub Type

Conferences

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Local Download

Keywords

navigation solutions, scan-matching, ICP, performance analysis, performance evaluation

Citation

Scrapper, C. , Madhavan, R. and Balakirsky, S. (2008), Performance Analysis for Stable Mobile Robot Navigation Solutions, Proceedings of the SPIE Defense and Security Symposium, Orlando, FL, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=824647 (Accessed October 17, 2025)