A method for acquiring multi-planar volumetric models with mobile robots based on the EM algorithm.

S. Thrun, Y. Liu, R. Emery, D. Chakrabarti, and W. Burgard.

This paper describes an algorithm for generating compact 3D models of indoor environments with mobile robots. Our algorithm employs the expectation maximization algorithm to fit a low-complexity planar model to 3D data collected by range finders and a panoramic camera. The complexity of the model is determined during model fitting, by incrementally adding and removing surfaces. In a final post-processing step, measurements are converted into polygons and projected onto the surface model where possible. Empirical results obtained with a mobile robot illustrate that high-resolution models can be acquired in reasonable time.

The full paper is available in PDF and gzipped Postscript

@INPROCEEDINGS{Thrun01d,
  AUTHOR	= {Thrun, S. and Burgard, W. and Chakrabarti, D. and Emery, R. and Liu, Y. and Martin, C.},
  TITLE		= {A Real-time Algorithm for Acquiring Multi-Planar Volumetric Models with Mobile Robots},
  YEAR		= {2001},
  BOOKTITLE = 	 {Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium of Robotics Research (ISRR'01)},
  editors       = {Jarvis, R. and Zelinsky, A.},
  publisher     = {Springer},
  address       = {Lorne, Australia}  
}