Simultanous mapping and localization of rescue environments [Gleichzeitiges kartieren und lokalisieren von rescue-umgebungen]

Abstract

Deploying rescue workers in an urban setting is often a perilous, time-, power-, and force-consuming job, and robot systems to assist in this effort are needed. A fundamental task for rescuer is to localize and salvage injured persons. To this end, robotic systems are used for mapping a site and for remote inspection of suspicious objects. The mobile robot Kurt3D is the first rescue robot that is capable of mapping its environment in 3D and self localize in all six degrees of freedom, i. e., considering its x, y and z positions and the roll, yaw and pitch angles. This capability allowed the small robot to win the Vice World Championship at the RoboCup Rescue competition 2004 at Lisbon. © Oldenbourg Verlag 2005.