Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
1999
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Larry E. Banta.
Abstract
This thesis presents an autonomous navigation program for West Virginia University's mobile robot platform ANT. The program allows the ANT to find a predefined goal by comparing sensor data with a given map of the environment. ANT's ultrasonic sensors were used to sample the surroundings continuously, and this information was combined with dead reckoning data to build a two-dimensional map of the environment. Borenstein's Histogramic In-Motion Mapping technique was used to build sensor maps, which were analyzed to find features such as walls and corners. The features were matched with features in the given map to correct dead reckoning errors. Partial success was demonstrated in this work. However it was concluded that more than seven sensors are necessary when operating in an environment with smooth walls. The failure modes for the robot were analyzed and suggestions are made to overcome some of the sensing problems.
Recommended Citation
Baba, Akihiko, "Robot navigation using ultrasonic feedback" (1999). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 942.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/942