In this work, a terrain estimation framework is developed for autonomous vehicles operating on deformable terrains. Previous work in this area usually relies on steady state tire operation, linearized classical terramechanics models, or on computationally expensive algorithms that are not suitable for real-time estimation. To address these shortcomings, this work develops a reduced-order nonlinear terramechanics model as a surrogate of the Soil Contact Model (SCM) through extending a state-of-the-art Bekker model to account for additional dynamic effects. It is shown that this reduced-order surrogate model is able to accurately replicate the forces predicted by the SCM while reducing the computation cost by an order of magnitude. This surrogate model is then utilized in a unscented Kalman filter to estimate the sinkage exponent. Simulations suggest this parameter can be estimated within 4% of its true value for clay and sandy loam terrains. It is also shown that utilizing this estimated parameter can reduce the prediction errors of the future vehicle states by orders of magnitude, which could assist with achieving more robust model-predictive autonomous navigation strategies.
In this work, a neural network based terramechanics model and terrain estimator are presented with an outlook for optimal control applications such as model predictive control. Recognizing the limitations of the state-of-the-art terramechanics models in terms of operating conditions, computational cost, and continuous differentiability for gradient-based optimization, an efficient and twice continuously differentiable terramechanics model is developed using neural networks for dynamic operations on deformable terrains. It is demonstrated that the neural network terramechanics model is able to …
Reinforcement Learning Compensated Model Predictive Control for Off-road Driving on Unknown Deformable Terrain
Department of Automotive Engineering, Clemson University（汽车工程系，克莱姆森大学）；Ground Vehicle Systems Center, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command（地面车辆系统中心，美国陆军作战能力发展指挥部）
This paper, for the first time, presents a terrain-based localization approach using sensor data from an active suspension system. The contribution is four-fold. First, it is shown that a location dependent road height profile can be created from sensor data of the active suspension system. Second, an algorithm is developed to extract a pitch profile from the road height profile data. The ideal pitch profile is vehicle-independent and only depends on the road. This pitch profile generated from an on-board computer is matched with a known terrain map to achieve real-time positioning. Third, a c…
Offroad vehicle movement has to contend with uneven and uncertain terrain which present challenges to path planning and motion control for both manned and unmanned ground vehicles. Knowledge of terrain properties can allow a vehicle to adapt its control and motion planning algorithms. Terrain properties, however, can change on time scales of days or even hours, necessitating their online estimation. The kinematics and, in particular the oscillations experienced by an offroad vehicle carry a signature of the terrain properties. These terrain properties can thus be estimated from proprioceptive …
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology（蔚山国立科学技术院）
This paper presents a safe, efficient, and agile ground vehicle navigation algorithm for 3D off-road terrain environments. Off-road navigation is subject to uncertain vehicle-terrain interactions caused by different terrain conditions on top of 3D terrain topology. The existing works are limited to adopt overly simplified vehicle-terrain models. The proposed algorithm learns the terrain-induced uncertainties from driving data and encodes the learned uncertainty distribution into the traversability cost for path evaluation. The navigation path is then designed to optimize the uncertainty-aware …
The extent of vibrations experienced by a vehicle driving over natural terrain defines its ride quality. Generally, surface irregularities, ranging from single discontinuities to random variations of the elevation profile, act as a major source of excitation that induces vibrations in the vehicle body through the tire-soil interaction and suspension system. Therefore, the ride response of off-road vehicles is tightly connected with the ground properties. The objective of this research is to develop a model-based observer that estimates automatically terrain parameters using available onboard s…
University of Salento（萨伦托大学）；Institute of Intelligent Systems for Automation, CNR（意大利国家研究委员会智能系统自动化研究所）
Advances in precision agriculture greatly rely on innovative control and sensing technologies that allow service units to increase their level of driving automation while ensuring at the same time high safety standards. This paper deals with automatic terrain estimation and classification that is performed simultaneously by an agricultural vehicle during normal operations. Vehicle mobility and safety, and the successful implementation of important agricultural tasks including seeding, ploughing, fertilising and controlled traffic depend or can be improved by a correct identification of the ter…
Hybrid Terrain-Aware Path Planning: Integrating VD-RRT* Exploration and VD-D* Lite Repair
The Grainger College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign（伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校格拉inger工程学院）；The Grainger College of Engineering, Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign（伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校格拉inger工程学院）
Polytechnic of Bari（巴里理工大学）；University of Salento（萨伦托大学）；National Research Council（国家研究委员会）；Institute of Intelligent Industrial Technologies and Systems for Advanced Manufacturing（智能工业技术与先进制造系统研究所）
There is a growing interest in new sensing technologies and processing algorithms to increase the level of driving automation towards self-driving vehicles. The challenge for autonomy is especially difficult for the negotiation of uncharted scenarios, including natural terrain. This paper proposes a method for terrain unevenness estimation that is based on the power spectral density (PSD) of the surface profile as measured by exteroceptive sensing, that is, by using a common onboard range sensor such as a stereoscopic camera. Using these components, the proposed estimator can evaluate terrain …
Terrain-Aware Kinodynamic Planning with Efficiently Adaptive State Lattices for Mobile Robot Navigation in Off-Road Environments
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Rochester（机器人与人工智能实验室，哈吉姆工程与应用科学学院，罗切斯特大学）；DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory（陆军研究实验室）
Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems（马克斯·普朗克智能系统研究所）
Abstract. Fixed wing and multirotor UAVs are common in the field of robotics. Solutions for simulation and control of these vehicles are ubiquitous. This is not the case for airships, a simulation of which needs to address unique properties, i) dynamic deformation in response to aerodynamic and control forces, ii) high susceptibility to wind and turbulence at low airspeed, iii) high variability in airship designs regarding placement, direction and vectoring of thrusters and control surfaces. We present a flexible framework for modeling, simulation and control of airships, based on the Robot op…
Meta-Learning Online Dynamics Model Adaptation in Off-Road Autonomous Driving
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology（喷气推进实验室、加州理工学院）；University of Texas at Austin（德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校）；Georgia Institute of Technology（佐治亚理工学院）
