Simultaneous Localization and Mapping for Forest Harvesters

A real-time SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) approach to harvester localization and tree map generation in forest environments is presented in this paper. The method combines 2D laser localization and mapping with GPS information to form global tree maps. Building an incremental map while also using it for localization is the only way a mobile robot can navigate in large outdoor environments. Until recently SLAM has only been confined to small-scale, mostly indoor, environments. We try to addresses the issues of scale for practical implementations of SLAM in extensive outdoor environments. Presented algorithms are tested in real outdoor environments using an all-terrain vehicle equipped with the navigation sensors and a DGPS receiver.