A 3D laser range finder for autonomous mobile robots

摘要

This paper presents a high quality, low cost 3D laser range finder designed for autonomous mobile systems. The 3D laser is built on the base of a 2D range finder by the extension with a standard servo. The servo is controlled by a computer running RT-Linux. The scan resolution (~5cm) for a complete 3D scan of an area of 150~(h) x 90~(v) degree is up to 115000 points and can be grabbed in 12 seconds. Standard resolutions e.g. 150 (h) x 90 (v) degree with 22500 points are grabbed in 4 seconds. While scanning, different online algorithms for line and surface detection are applied to the data. Object segmentation and detection are done offline after the scan. The implemented software modules detect overhanging objects blocking the path of the robot. With the proposed approach a cheap, precise, reliable and real-time capable 3D sensor for autonomous mobile robots is available and the robot navigation and recognition in real-time is improved.