The doctoral thesis discusses current options for the navigation of unmanned ground vehicles with a focus on achieving high absolute compliance of the required motion trajectory and the obtained one. The current possibilities of key self-localization methods, such as global satellite navigation systems, inertial navigation systems, and odometry, are analyzed. The description of the navigation method, which allows achieving a centimeter-level accuracy of the required trajectory tracking with the above mentioned self-localization methods, forms the core of the thesis. The new navigation method was designed with regard to its very simple parameterization, respecting the limitations of the used robot drive configuration. Thus, after an appropriate parametrization of the navigation method, it can be applied to any drive configuration. The concept of the navigation method allows integrating and using more self-localization systems and external navigation methods simultaneously. This increases the overall robustness of the whole process of the mobile robot navigation. The thesis also deals with the solution of cooperative convoying heterogeneous mobile robots. The proposed algorithms were validated under real outdoor conditions in three different experiments.

[pt] A inspeção interna de tanques de armazenamento pode ser uma tarefa longa, custosa e até nociva à saúde do inspetor. Uma alternativa à inspeção humana é a utilização de sistemas robóticos. Esses sistemas podem ser teleoperados de fora dos tanques, permitindo realizar a inspeção de maneira mais segura, rápida, e em alguns casos, sem que seja necessário esvaziá-lo. Para poder fornecer a localização de eventuais defeitos no tanque, o robô móvel precisa ser capaz de conhecer sua posição relativa dentro dele. Auto-localização é de grande importância para a navegação de robôs móveis. Robôs de inspeção são, na sua maioria, veículos de rodas ou esteiras magnéticas fixas. Esta configuração adiciona duas dificuldades que precisam ser abordadas na tarefa de localização. Devido à sua configuração, neste tipo de veículo, deslizamento das rodas é intrínseco ao seu funcionamento, sendo essencial levar em conta seu efeito para modelar seu comportamento adequadamente. Outra dificuldade está no uso de rodas magnéticas, devido ao forte campo magnético gerado por estes elementos, que interferem nas medições de sensores magnéticos, como por exemplo bússolas. Neste trabalho, um filtro de Kalman foi desenvolvido e implementado para a localização de um robô de quatro rodas magnéticas fixas, a partir da fusão de sensores inerciais e odometria. Na modelagem do veículo, foi utilizado um modelo cinemático como base para um modelo dinâmico, o que permitiu considerar o deslizamento intrínseco do sistema. Na fusão de sensores, foram dispensadas as medições do magnetômetro embarcado, devido à grande interferência produzida pelas rodas e à grande distância que seria necessária entre eles para não ser afetado pelo ruído. Simulações e experimentos comprovaram a eficiência do filtro implementado. / [en] Internal inspection of storage tanks can be long, costly and even detrimental to the health of the inspector. An alternative to human inspection is the use of robotic systems. These systems can be teleoperated from outside the tanks, making it possible to carry out the inspection more safely, quickly and in some cases without having to empty it. In order to provide the location of any defects in the tank, the mobile robot must be able to know its relative position within it. Self-localization is of great importance for mobile robot navigation. Inspection robots are, for the most part, vehicles with wheels or tracks. This configuration adds two difficulties that need to be addressed in the localization task. Due to its configuration, in this type of vehicle, wheel slip is intrinsic to its operation, being essential to take into account its effect to model its behavior properly. Another difficulty is the use of magnetic wheels, due to the strong magnetic field generated by these elements, which interfere with the measurements of magnetic sensors, such as compasses. In this work, a Kalman filter was developed and implemented for the localization of a four-wheel fixed magnetic robot, from the fusion of inertial sensors and odometry. In the modeling of the vehicle, a kinematic model was used as the basis for a dynamic model, which allowed to consider the intrinsic slippage of the system. In the sensor fusion, measurements of the magnetometer on board were discarded, due to the great interference produced by the wheels and the great distance that would be necessary between them to be unaffected by noise. Simulations and experiments have proven the efficiency of the implemented filter.

Für mobile autonome Roboter ist ein solides Modell der Umwelt eine wichtige Voraussetzung um die richtigen Entscheidungen zu treffen. Die gängigen existierenden Verfahren zur Weltmodellierung basieren auf dem Bayes-Filter und verarbeiten Informationen mit Hidden Markov Modellen. Dabei wird der geschätzte Zustand der Welt (Belief) iterativ aktualisiert, indem abwechselnd Sensordaten und das Wissen über die ausgeführten Aktionen des Roboters integriert werden; alle Informationen aus der Vergangenheit sind im Belief integriert. Wenn Sensordaten nur einen geringen Informationsgehalt haben, wie zum Beispiel Peilungsmessungen, kommen sowohl parametrische Filter (z.B. Kalman-Filter) als auch nicht-parametrische Filter (z.B. Partikel-Filter) schnell an ihre Grenzen. Das Problem ist dabei die Repräsentation des Beliefs. Es kann zum Beispiel sein, dass die gaußschen Modelle beim Kalman-Filter nicht ausreichen oder Partikel-Filter so viele Partikel benötigen, dass die Rechendauer zu groß wird. In dieser Dissertation stelle ich ein neues Verfahren zur Weltmodellierung vor, das Informationen nicht sofort integriert, sondern erst bei Bedarf kombiniert. Das Verfahren wird exemplarisch auf verschiedene Anwendungsfälle aus dem RoboCup (autonome Roboter spielen Fußball) angewendet. Es wird gezeigt, wie vierbeinige und humanoide Roboter ihre Position und Ausrichtung auf einem Spielfeld sehr präzise bestimmen können. Grundlage für die Lokalisierung sind bildbasierte Peilungsmessungen zu Objekten. Für die Roboter-Ausrichtung sind dabei Feldlinien eine wichtige Informationsquelle. In dieser Dissertation wird ein Verfahren zur Erkennung von Feldlinien in Kamerabildern vorgestellt, das ohne Kalibrierung auskommt und sehr gute Resultate liefert, auch wenn es starke Schatten und Verdeckungen im Bild gibt. / For autonomous mobile robots, a solid world model is an important prerequisite for decision making. Current state estimation techniques are based on Hidden Markov Models and Bayesian filtering. These methods estimate the state of the world (belief) in an iterative manner. Data obtained from perceptions and actions is accumulated in the belief which can be represented parametrically (like in Kalman filters) or non-parametrically (like in particle filters). When the sensor''s information gain is low, as in the case of bearing-only measurements, the representation of the belief can be challenging. For instance, a Kalman filter''s Gaussian models might not be sufficient or a particle filter might need an unreasonable number of particles. In this thesis, I introduce a new state estimation method which doesn''t accumulate information in a belief. Instead, perceptions and actions are stored in a memory. Based on this, the state is calculated when needed. The system has a particular advantage when processing sparse information. This thesis presents how the memory-based technique can be applied to examples from RoboCup (autonomous robots play soccer). In experiments, it is shown how four-legged and humanoid robots can localize themselves very precisely on a soccer field. The localization is based on bearings to objects obtained from digital images. This thesis presents a new technique to recognize field lines which doesn''t need any pre-run calibration and also works when the field lines are partly concealed and affected by shadows.

This thesis proposes and analyzes data fusion algorithms that operate on the physical layer of a wireless sensor network, in the context of three applications of cognitive radios: 1. Cooperative spectrum sensing via binary consensus; 2. Multiple transmitter localization and communication footprint identification; 3.Target self-localization using beacon nodes. For the first application, a co-phasing based data combining scheme is studied under imperfect channel knowledge. The evolution of network consensus state is modeled as a Markov chain, and the average transition probability matrix is derived. Using this, the average hitting time and average consensus duration are obtained, which are used to determine and optimize the performance of the consensus procedure. Second, using the fact that a typical communication footprint map admits a sparse representation, two novel compressed sensing based schemes are proposed to construct the map using 1-bit decisions from sensors deployed in a geographical area. The number of transmitters is determined using the K-means algorithm and a circular fitting technique, and a design procedure is proposed to determine the power thresholds for signal detection at sensors. Third, an algorithm is proposed for self-localization of a target node using power measurements from beacon nodes transmitting from known locations. The geographical area is overlaid with a virtual grid, and the problem is treated as one of testing overlapping subsets of grid cells for the presence of the target node. The column matching algorithm from group testing literature is considered for devising the target localization algorithm. The average probability of localizing the target within a grid cell is derived using the tools from Poisson point processes and order statistics. This quantity is used to determine the minimum required node density to localize the target within a grid cell with high probability. The performance of all the proposed algorithms is illustrated through Monte Carlo simulations.