CAD-MAP AND ESTIMATION OF ALV POSITIONS IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS

Abstract

Position estimation is a key issue for an ALV (Autonomous Land Vehicle) in navigating a mountainous area. The unevenness of the terrain makes mechanical velocity sensors inaccurate (due to wheel slippage), and the lack of appropriate landmarks complicates the problem. In this paper, we present a solution method using features of the skyline. The skyline from the vision system is assumed given, and compared with a computer map, called the CAD-MAP. The algorithm is composed of: a) Identification of the peak points in the camera skyline, b) Computing the ALV position for the identified peak points, and c) Searching for the corresponding peak point in the CAD-MAP. Heuristics for computational efficiency and solution accuracy are also included in the algorithm. To test the validity and effectiveness of the algorithm, numerous simulations were performed and analyzed.