A Path Planning System based on 3D Occlusion Detection for Lunar Exploration Rovers

In this paper, the authors present a path planing system for autonomous navigation of lunar/planetary rover. In the path planner, candidate paths are generated and evaluated by multiple criteria including occlusion index, terrain roughness/inclination indices. The proposed system considers the occlusion effect produced by obstacles present in the inspected environment and the features of the environment itself. An algorithm that computes the next sensing position within the map is introduced as part of the system presented. The different components of the system and their interactions are explained thoroughly. Simulation and experimental results where the proposed system is implemented are presented.