System and method for generating a terrain model for autonomous navigation in vegetation
US7995837B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 5, 2009 |
| Grant date | Aug 9, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 5, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05D1/0251
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The disclosed terrain model is a generative, probabilistic approach to modeling terrain that exploits the 3D spatial structure inherent in outdoor domains and an array of noisy but abundant sensor data to simultaneously estimate ground height, vegetation height and classify obstacles and other areas of interest, even in dense non-penetrable vegetation. Joint inference of ground height, class height and class identity over the whole model results in more accurate estimation of each quantity. Vertical spatial constraints are imposed on voxels within a column via a hidden semi-Markov model. Horizontal spatial constraints are enforced on neighboring columns of voxels via two interacting Markov random fields and a latent variable. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.