System and Method for Urban Mapping and Positioning

a technology for urban mapping and positioning, applied in the field of mapping and geolocation, can solve the problem that small ugvs rarely have any autonomous capabilities, and achieve the effect of improving global accuracy and increasing situational awareness

Active Publication Date: 2015-07-02
ROBOTIC RES OPCO LLC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]These subsystems can be combined to provide products that address specific military needs. For example, one capability that can be produced is UMAPS-Positioning (UMAPS-P), which provides GPS-denied position estimation for human users. The applications of such technology include localization within a building and exploration of tunnels with a quick determination of the position of each squad member. Another capability is for a human-worn mapping component of UMAPS that can provide increased situational awareness for command and control, identify unexplored regions of a building, and provide advanced intelligence for warfighters. A third capability allows mapping to be generated from a robotic platform, providing critical 3-D survey information of remote, enclosed or dangerous spaces without compromising human presence or safety. A fourth capability allows the determination of canine unit positioning relative to its mission objective.
[0010]As a result of testing, the UMAPS positioning subsystem improvements over the initial concept included integrating GPS with the inertial navigation system for better global accuracy.

Problems solved by technology

However, these small UGVs rarely have any autonomous capabilities.

Method used

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Examples

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operational example

[0066]FIG. 12 shows a conceptual example of how the spring network will work. The yellow and blue paths are two separate runs by the AUGV. The AUGV will compute its relative localization solution using its inertial sensors and available odometry. At Spring A in the figure during the first (yellow) run, the AUGV may get a poor GPS update, so it inserts a weak spring into the network, slightly pulling its path toward that solution. At the end of the run, it inserts Spring B by registering some local sensor data to aerial imagery. The registration algorithm reports high confidence, so the spring is strong. Since it has a confident absolute position solution, it geo-tags some local sensor data and stores it for a future run. During the next (blue) run, the AUGV is able to register its position to some DTED data because of a unique change in elevation and inserts Spring C. Nearby, Spring D is inserted by registering the local LIDAR sensor data to some aerial LIDAR in a stored database. A...

military embodiment

[0079]The present invention, in a military embodiment, is an accurate, distributed navigation system for determining the location of soldiers as they carry out a mission, even in GPS-denied areas. The present invention, sets up virtual “springs” between one soldier's navigation solution and other soldiers' navigation solutions, GPS data, radio ranging information, and / or known or predetermined landmarks.

[0080]During a mission, knowing a soldier's location is fundamental information required for crucial functions such as navigation, maneuverability, and coordination with other warfighters. Using GPS, the position of a soldier is relatively easy to determine without complex computations or communications. Unfortunately, dismounted soldiers frequently need to localize their position in GPS-denied environments such as mountainous terrain, valleys, caves, or urban canyons. The present invention, integrates a combination of sources to determine the most accurate location of the entire tea...

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Abstract

UMAPS is a multifaceted system that can be robot-mounted, human-worn, or canine carried. UMAPS produces real-time, 3D mapping and localization for the user as they move throughout a GPS-denied environment (e.g. buildings, caves, or tunnels). An Operator Control Unit (OCU) displays information collected by UMAPS; 2D floorplans; 3D textured-enriched surfaces of the structure's interior; and the location of the users within that structure. UMAPS has an open architecture that allows it to function with any OCU. UMAPS has three distinct subsystems: obstacle maps for robot mobility, mapping, and positioning

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 679,355, entitled “System and Method for Urban Mapping and Positioning”, filed on 3, Aug. 2012. The benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the United States provisional application is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH[0002]Not ApplicableSEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM[0003]Not ApplicableTECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0004]The present invention relates generally to mapping and geo-location. More specifically, the present invention relates to an accurate, distributed navigation system for determining the location of equipment or individuals as they carry out a mission, even in GPS-denied areas.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]The acceptance of robotics among the military is growing. A prime example is Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). UAVs have provided a necessary capability of reconnaissa...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G01C21/28
CPCG01C21/28G06T2207/10021G06T7/2086G06T2200/08G01S19/45G06T7/285H04W4/023G08B1/08F41H13/00G01S19/47G06T2207/10032G06T7/20G06T2207/30212
Inventor LACAZE, ALBERTO DANIELMURPHY, KARLSMITH, KYLE
Owner ROBOTIC RES OPCO LLC
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