Modeling the Environment of a Mobile Security Robot

Abstract

ROBART II is a battery powered autonomous robot being used by the Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) in San Diego, CA as a testbed in research which seeks to provide a multisensor detection, verification, and intelligent assessment capability for a mobile security robot. The intent is to produce a robust automated system exhibiting a high probability of detection, with the ability to distinguish between actual and nuisance alarms, and capable of operation within areas already protected by fixed installation motion detection sensors. An architecture of 13 distributed microprocessors onboard the robot makes possible advanced control strategies and realtime data acquisition. Higher-level tasks (map generation, path planning, position estimation, obstacle avoidance, and statistical security assessment) are addressed by a Planner (currently a remote 80386-based desktop computer). Numerous sensors are incorporated into the system to yield appropriate information for use in position estimation, collision avoidance, navigational planning, and assessing terrain traversibility.