Method for mapping an environment

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 9412173
APP PUB NO 20160071278A1
SERIAL NO

14783215

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Abstract

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A method for mapping an environment comprises moving a sensor along a path from a start location (P0) through the environment, the sensor generating a sequence of images, each image associated with a respective estimated sensor location and comprising a point cloud having a plurality of vertices, each vertex comprising an (x,y,z)-tuple and image information for the tuple. The sequence of estimated sensor locations is sampled to provide a pose graph (P) comprising a linked sequence of nodes, each corresponding to a respective estimated sensor location. For each node of the pose graph (P), a respective cloud slice (C) comprising at least of portion of the point cloud for the sampled sensor location is acquired. A drift between an actual sensor location (Pi+1) and an estimated sensor location (Pi) on the path is determined. A corrected pose graph (P′) indicating a required transformation for each node of the pose graph (P) between the actual sensor location (Pi+1) and the start location (P0) to compensate for the determined drift is provided. The sequence of estimated sensor locations is sampled to provide a deformation graph (N) comprising a linked sequence of nodes, each corresponding to respective estimated sensor locations along the path. For at least a plurality of the vertices in the cloud slices, a closest set of K deformation graph nodes is identified and a respective blending function based on the respective distances of the identified graph nodes to a vertex is determined. Transformation coefficients for each node of the deformation graph are determined as a function of the 20 required transformation for each node of the pose graph (P) to compensate for the determined drift. Tuple coordinates for a vertex are transformed to compensate for sensor drift as a function of the blending function and the transformation coefficients for the K deformation graph nodes closest to the vertex.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY77 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE CAMBRIDGE MA 02139

International Classification(s)

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Kaess, Michael Pittsburgh, US 3 140
Leonard, John Joseph Newton, US 8 197
McDonald, John Co. Meath, IE 110 1800
Whelan, Thomas John Co. Kildare, IE 8 119

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