Mobile robot localization in quasi-dynamic environments

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to address the online localization of mobile (service) robots in real world dynamic environments. Most of the techniques developed so far have been designed for static environments. What is presented here is a novel technique for mobile robot localization in quasi-dynamic environments. Design/methodology/approach - The proposed approach employs a probability grid map and Baye's filtering techniques. The former is used for representing the possible changes in the surrounding environment which a robot might have to face. Findings - Simulation and experimental results show that this approach has a high degree of robustness by taking into account both sensor and world uncertainty. The methodology has been tested under different environment scenarios where diverse complex objects having different sizes and shapes were used to represent movable and non-movable entities. Practical implications - The results can be applied to diverse robotic systems that need to move in changing indoor environments such as hospitals and places where people might require assistance from autonomous robotic devices. The methodology is fast, efficient and can be used in fast-moving robots, allowing them to perform complex operations such as path planning and navigation in real time. Originality/value - What is proposed here is a novel mobile robot localization approach that enables unmanned vehicles to effectively move in real time and know their current location in dynamic environments. Such an approach consists of two steps: a generation of the probability grid map; and a recursive position estimation methodology employing a variant of the Baye's filter.