The use of mobile robots for remote sensing and object localization

This paper describes the methodology and algorithms required for performing remote sensing via a mobile robot. Additionally the means for determining the ground coordinates of any detected object of interest are also presented. Instrumentation for determining the robot position and orientation is complemented by the use of a Kalman Filter. Two kinematic models for a mobile robot are presented, one for a robot steered by turning the front wheels and one for a robot steered by using differential speeds between the left and right wheels. Given that an object of interest has been detected, which may have been accomplished manually or automatically, an algorithm is developed for aiming the boresight of the sensor at this object. This permits a co-aligned ranging laser to be used to determine the distance to the object. A combination of this information along with robot position and attitude allows computation of the ground coordinates of the object of interest.