Exploration is an important aspect of robotics, whether it is for mapping, rescue missions or path planning in an unknown environment. Frontier Exploration planning (FEP) and Receding Horizon Next-Best-View planning (RH-NBVP) are two different approaches with different strengths and weaknesses. FEP explores a large environment consisting of separate regions with ease, but is slow at reaching full exploration due to moving back and forth between regions. RH-NBVP shows great potential and efficiently explores individual regions, but has the disadvantage that it can get stuck in large environments not exploring all regions. In this work we present a method that combines both approaches, with FEP as a global exploration planner and RH-NBVP for local exploration. We also present techniques to estimate potential information gain faster, to cache previously estimated gains and to exploit these to efficiently estimate new queries.

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We present an approach for creating conceptual representations of human-made indoor environments using mobile robots. The concepts refer to spatial and functional properties of typical indoor environments. Following findings in cognitive psychology, our model is composed of layers representing maps at different levels of abstraction. The complete system is integrated in a mobile robot endowed with laser and vision sensors for place and object recognition. The system also incorporates a linguistic framework that actively supports the map acquisition process, and which is used for situated dialogue. Finally, we discuss the capabilities of the integrated system.

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In this paper we present a probabilistic approach for mobile robot localization using an incomplete topological world model. The method, which we have termed multi-hypothesis localization (MHL), uses multi-hypothesis Kalman filter based pose tracking combined with a probabilistic formulation of hypothesis correctness to generate and track Gaussian pose hypotheses online. Apart from a lower computational complexity, this approach has the advantage over traditional grid based methods that incomplete and topological world model information can be utilized. Furthermore, the method generates movement commands for the platform to enhance the gathering of information for the pose estimation process. Extensive experiments are presented from two different environments, a typical office environment and an old hospital building.