Publication List with Images
2023 |
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Nwankwo, Linus; Rueckert, Elmar Understanding why SLAM algorithms fail in modern indoor environments Proceedings Article In: International Conference on Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region (RAAD). , pp. 186 – 194, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland., 2023. Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: mobile navigation, robotics, SLAM @inproceedings{Nwankwo2023,Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms are essential for the autonomous navigation of mobile robots. With the increasing demand for autonomous systems, it is crucial to evaluate and compare the performance of these algorithms in real-world environments. In this paper, we provide an evaluation strategy and real-world datasets to test and evaluate SLAM algorithms in complex and challenging indoor environments. Further, we analysed state-of-the-art (SOTA) SLAM algorithms based on various metrics such as absolute trajectory error, scale drift, and map accuracy and consistency. Our results demonstrate that SOTA SLAM algorithms often fail in challenging environments, with dynamic objects, transparent and reflecting surfaces. We also found that successful loop closures had a significant impact on the algorithm’s performance. These findings highlight the need for further research to improve the robustness of the algorithms in real-world scenarios. |  |
Nwankwo, Linus; Fritze, Clemens; Bartsch, Konrad; Rueckert, Elmar ROMR: A ROS-based Open-source Mobile Robot Journal Article In: HardwareX, vol. 15, pp. 1–29, 2023. Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Autonomous Navigation, mobile navigation, SLAM @article{Nwankwo2023b,Currently, commercially available intelligent transport robots that are capable of carrying up to 90kg of load can cost $5,000 or even more. This makes real-world experimentation prohibitively expensive, and limiting the applicability of such systems to everyday home or industrial tasks. Aside from their high cost, the majority of commercially available platforms are either closed-source, platform-specific, or use difficult-to-customize hardware and firmware. In this work, we present a low-cost, open-source and modular alternative, referred to herein as ”ROS-based open-source mobile robot (ROMR)”. ROMR utilizes off-the-shelf (OTS) components, additive manufacturing technologies, aluminium profiles, and a consumer hoverboard with high-torque brushless direct current (BLDC) motors. ROMR is fully compatible with the robot operating system (ROS), has a maximum payload of 90kg, and costs less than $1500. Furthermore, ROMR offers a simple yet robust framework for contextualizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, an essential prerequisite for autonomous robot navigation. The robustness and performance of the ROMR were validated through realworld and simulation experiments. All the design, construction and software files are freely available online under the GNU GPL v3 license at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/K83X7. A descriptive video of ROMR can be found at https://osf.io/ku8ag. |  |
Yadav, Harsh; Xue, Honghu; Rudall, Yan; Bakr, Mohamed; Hein, Benedikt; Rueckert, Elmar; Nguyen, Thinh Deep Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Navigation in Intralogistics Workshop 2023, (European Control Conference (ECC) Workshop, Extended Abstract.). Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Autonomous Navigation, Deep Learning, mobile navigation, SLAM @workshop{Yadav2023,Even with several advances in autonomous mobile robots, navigation in a highly dynamic environment still remains a challenge. Classical navigation systems, such as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), build a map of the environment and constructing maps of highly dynamic environments is impractical. Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approaches have the ability to learn policies without knowledge of the maps or the transition models of the environment. The aim of our work is to investigate the potential of using DRL to control an autonomous mobile robot to dock with a load carrier. This paper presents an initial successful training result of the Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) algorithm, which can navigate a robot toward an open door only based on the 360° LiDAR observations. Ongoing work is using visual sensors for load carrier docking. |  |
Compact List without Images
Journal Articles |
Nwankwo, Linus; Fritze, Clemens; Bartsch, Konrad; Rueckert, Elmar ROMR: A ROS-based Open-source Mobile Robot Journal Article In: HardwareX, vol. 15, pp. 1–29, 2023. @article{Nwankwo2023b,Currently, commercially available intelligent transport robots that are capable of carrying up to 90kg of load can cost $5,000 or even more. This makes real-world experimentation prohibitively expensive, and limiting the applicability of such systems to everyday home or industrial tasks. Aside from their high cost, the majority of commercially available platforms are either closed-source, platform-specific, or use difficult-to-customize hardware and firmware. In this work, we present a low-cost, open-source and modular alternative, referred to herein as ”ROS-based open-source mobile robot (ROMR)”. ROMR utilizes off-the-shelf (OTS) components, additive manufacturing technologies, aluminium profiles, and a consumer hoverboard with high-torque brushless direct current (BLDC) motors. ROMR is fully compatible with the robot operating system (ROS), has a maximum payload of 90kg, and costs less than $1500. Furthermore, ROMR offers a simple yet robust framework for contextualizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, an essential prerequisite for autonomous robot navigation. The robustness and performance of the ROMR were validated through realworld and simulation experiments. All the design, construction and software files are freely available online under the GNU GPL v3 license at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/K83X7. A descriptive video of ROMR can be found at https://osf.io/ku8ag. |
Proceedings Articles |
Nwankwo, Linus; Rueckert, Elmar Understanding why SLAM algorithms fail in modern indoor environments Proceedings Article In: International Conference on Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region (RAAD). , pp. 186 – 194, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland., 2023. @inproceedings{Nwankwo2023,Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms are essential for the autonomous navigation of mobile robots. With the increasing demand for autonomous systems, it is crucial to evaluate and compare the performance of these algorithms in real-world environments. In this paper, we provide an evaluation strategy and real-world datasets to test and evaluate SLAM algorithms in complex and challenging indoor environments. Further, we analysed state-of-the-art (SOTA) SLAM algorithms based on various metrics such as absolute trajectory error, scale drift, and map accuracy and consistency. Our results demonstrate that SOTA SLAM algorithms often fail in challenging environments, with dynamic objects, transparent and reflecting surfaces. We also found that successful loop closures had a significant impact on the algorithm’s performance. These findings highlight the need for further research to improve the robustness of the algorithms in real-world scenarios. |
Workshops |
Yadav, Harsh; Xue, Honghu; Rudall, Yan; Bakr, Mohamed; Hein, Benedikt; Rueckert, Elmar; Nguyen, Thinh Deep Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Navigation in Intralogistics Workshop 2023, (European Control Conference (ECC) Workshop, Extended Abstract.). @workshop{Yadav2023,Even with several advances in autonomous mobile robots, navigation in a highly dynamic environment still remains a challenge. Classical navigation systems, such as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), build a map of the environment and constructing maps of highly dynamic environments is impractical. Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approaches have the ability to learn policies without knowledge of the maps or the transition models of the environment. The aim of our work is to investigate the potential of using DRL to control an autonomous mobile robot to dock with a load carrier. This paper presents an initial successful training result of the Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) algorithm, which can navigate a robot toward an open door only based on the 360° LiDAR observations. Ongoing work is using visual sensors for load carrier docking. |