Skip to main content

Spatial Mapping and Map Exploitation: A Bio-inspired Engineering Perspective

  • Conference paper
Spatial Information Theory (COSIT 2007)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 4736))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Probabilistic robot mapping techniques can produce high resolution, accurate maps of large indoor and outdoor environments. However, much less progress has been made towards robots using these maps to perform useful functions such as efficient navigation. This paper describes a pragmatic approach to mapping system development that considers not only the map but also the navigation functionality that the map must provide. We pursue this approach within a bio-inspired mapping context, and use results from robot experiments in indoor and outdoor environments to demonstrate its validity. The research attempts to stimulate new research directions in the field of robot mapping with a proposal for a new approach that has the potential to lead to more complete mapping and navigation systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Thrun, S.: Robotic Mapping: A Survey. In: Exploring Artificial Intelligence in the New Millennium, Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dissanayake, G., Durrant-Whyte, H., Bailey, T.: A computationally efficient solution to the simultaneous localisation and map building (SLAM) problem. In: 2000 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, San Franciso, USA, IEEE, Los Alamitos (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Newman, P.M., Leonard, J.J.: Consistent, Convergent, and Constant-time SLAM. In: International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Acapulco, Mexico (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Thrun, S.: Probabilistic Algorithms in Robotics. AI Magazine 21, 93–109 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Montemerlo, M., Thrun, S., Koller, D., Wegbreit, B.: FastSLAM: A Factored Solution to the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Problem. In: AAAI National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Edmonton, Canada (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Montemerlo, M., Thrun, S., Koller, D., Wegbreit, B.: FastSLAM 2.0: An improved particle filtering algorithm for simultaneous localization and mapping that provably converges. In: International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Acapulco, Mexico (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Grisetti, G., Stachniss, C., Burgard, W.: Improving Grid Based SLAM with Rao Blackwellized Particle Filters by Adaptive Proposals and Selective Resampling. In: International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Barcelona, Spain (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Thrun, S., Koller, D., Ghahramani, Z., Durrant-Whyte, H., Ng., A.Y.: Simultaneous Mapping and Localization With Sparse Extended Information Filters: Theory and Initial Results. In: Fifth International Workshop on Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics, Nice, France (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Yamauchi, B., Beer, R.: Spatial Learning for Navigation in Dynamic Environments. Man and Cybernetics 26, 496–505 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Thrun, S.: Probabilistic Algorithms and the Interactive Museum Tour-Guide Robot Minerva. International Journal of Robotics Research 19, 972–999 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Stentz, A., Hebert, M.: A Complete Navigation System for Goal Acquisition in Unknown Environments. Autonomous Robots 2, 127–145 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kuipers, B., Byun, Y.T.: A Robot Exploration and Mapping Strategy Based on a Semantic Hierarchy of Spatial Representations. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 8, 47–63 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kuipers, B., Modayil, J., Beeson, P., MacMahon, M., Savelli, F.: Local Metrical and Global Topological Maps in the Hybrid Spatial Semantic Hierarchy. In: International Conference on Robotics and Automation, New Orleans, USA (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hmelo-Silver, C.E., Pfeffer, M.G.: Comparing expert and novice understanding of a complex system from the perspective of structures, behaviors, and functions. Cognitive Science 28, 127–138 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kobayashi, T., Nishijo, H., Fukuda, M., Bures, J., Ono, T.: Task-Dependent Representations in Rat Hippocampal Place Neurons. The Journal of Neurophysiology. 78, 597–613 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Bostock, E., Muller, R., Kubie, J.: Experience-dependent modifications of hippocampal place cell firing. Hippocampus 1, 193–205 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kobayashi, T., Tran, A.H., Nishijo, H., Ono, T., Matsumoto, G.: Contribution of hippocampal place cell activity to learning and formation of goal-directed navigation in rats. Neuroscience 117, 1025–1035 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Frisch, K.v.: The Dance Language and Orientation of Bees. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Wehner, R., Gallizzi, K., Frei, C., Vesely, M.: Calibration processes in desert ant navigation: vector courses and systematic search. Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology 188, 683–693 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Milford, M.J., Wyeth, G., Prasser, D.: RatSLAM: A Hippocampal Model for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. In: International Conference on Robotics and Automation, New Orleans, USA (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Prasser, D., Milford, M., Wyeth, G.: Outdoor Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping using RatSLAM. In: International Conference on Field and Service Robotics, Port Douglas, Australia (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Milford, M.J., Wyeth, G.F., Prasser, D.P.: RatSLAM on the Edge: Revealing a Coherent Representation from an Overloaded Rat Brain. In: International Conference on Robots and Intelligent Systems, Beijing, China (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Milford, M., Schulz, R., Prasser, D., Wyeth, G., Wiles, J.: Learning Spatial Concepts from RatSLAM Representations. Robots and Autonomous Systems (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Muller, R.U., Kubie, J.L.: The effects of changes in the environment on the spatial firing of hippocampal complex-spike cells. The Journal of Neuroscience 7, 1951–1968 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tews, A., Robert, J., Roberts, J., Usher, K.: Is the Sun Too Bright in Queensland? An Approach to Robust Outdoor Colour Beacon Detection. In: Australasian Conference on Robotics and Automation, Sydney, Australia (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Recce, M., Harris, K.D.: Memory for places: A navigational model in support of Marr’s theory of hippocampal function. Hippocampus 6, 735–748 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Gaussier, P., Zrehen, S.: Navigating With an Animal Brain: A Neural Network for Landmark Identification and Navigation. In: Intelligent Vehicles, 399–404 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Franz, M.O., Mallot, H.A.: Biomimetic robot navigation. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 133–153 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Crane III, C., Armstrong Jr., D., Torrie, M., Gray, S.: Autonomous Ground Vehicle Technologies Applied to the DARPA Grand Challenge. In: International Conference on Control, Automation, and Systems, Bangkok, Thailand (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ozguner, U., Redmill, K.A., Broggi, A.: Team TerraMax and the DARPA grand challenge: a general overview. In: Intelligent Vehicles Symposium, Parma, Italy (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Browning, B.: Biologically Plausible Spatial Navigation for a Mobile Robot. PhD, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Arleo, A.: Spatial Learning and Navigation in Neuro-mimetic Systems: Modeling the Rat Hippocampus. PhD, Department of Computer Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Milford, M.J., Wyeth, G.: Hippocampal Models for Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping on an Autonomous Robot. In: Australasian Conference on Robotics and Automation, Brisbane, Australia (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Redish, D.: Beyond the Cognitive Map. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Milford, M.J., Wyeth, G., Prasser, D.: Simultaneous Localization and Mapping from Natural Landmarks using RatSLAM. In: Australasian Conference on Robotics and Automation, Canberra, Australia (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Nieto, J., Guivant, J., Nebot, E.: Real Time Data Association for FastSLAM. In: International Conference on Robotics & Automation, Taipei, Taiwan (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Milford, M.J., Prasser, D., Wyeth, G.: Experience Mapping: Producing Spatially Continuous Environment Representations using RatSLAM. In: Australasian Conference on Robotics and Automation, Sydney, Australia (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Stachniss, C., Burgard, W.: Mapping and Exploration with Mobile Robots using Coverage Maps. In: International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Las Vegas, USA (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Yamauchi, B.: A Frontier Based Approach for Autonomous Exploration. In: International Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Robotics and Automation, Monterey, USA (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Fyhn, M., Molden, S., Witter, M.P., Moser, E.I., Moser, M.-B.: Spatial Representation in the Entorhinal Cortex. Science 27, 1258–1264 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Hafting, T., Fyhn, M., Molden, S., Moser, M.-B., Moser, E.I.: Microstructure of a spatial map in the entorhinal cortex. Nature Neuroscience 11, 801–806 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Stephan Winter Matt Duckham Lars Kulik Ben Kuipers

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Milford, M., Wyeth, G. (2007). Spatial Mapping and Map Exploitation: A Bio-inspired Engineering Perspective. In: Winter, S., Duckham, M., Kulik, L., Kuipers, B. (eds) Spatial Information Theory. COSIT 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4736. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74788-8_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74788-8_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-74786-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-74788-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics