High Speed Navigation of Unrehearsed Terrain: Red Team Technology for Grand Challenge 2004 - Robotics Institute Carnegie Mellon University

High Speed Navigation of Unrehearsed Terrain: Red Team Technology for Grand Challenge 2004

Christopher Urmson, Joshua Anhalt, Michael Clark, Tugrul Galatali, Juan Pablo Gonzalez, Jay Gowdy, Alexander Gutierrez, Sam Harbaugh, Matthew Johnson-Roberson, Hiroki Kato, Phillip L. Koon, Kevin Peterson, Bryon K. Smith, Spencer Spiker, Erick Tryzelaar, and William (Red) L. Whittaker
Tech. Report, CMU-RI-TR-04-37, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, June, 2004

Abstract

This report presents technologies that have been created and integrated to achieve high speed navigation of unrehearsed terrain. The discussion is organized into three technology areas: mapping & pre-planning, hardware, and navigation software. The mapping & pre-planning component of the Red Team generated a massive, multi-data format map of the ~50,000 sq. mile region surrounding the race corridor. This data was utilized by an automated pre-planning system and a team of human experts to generate a safe route across the Mojave Desert. Sandstorm is the most recognizable component of the Red Team race system. It incorporates a highly capable mobility base and high performance computing and sensing. A critical component of the sensing system is a stabilized gimbal, used to ensure useful data can be collected for the on-board software to digest. The navigation software is capable of driving off-road trails at speeds over 35 mph. This software is described with an explanation of its capabilities and limitations. This report concludes with a summary of the Red Team's performance at the 2004 Grand Challenge, and outlines several lessons learned during the process of developing the race system.

BibTeX

@techreport{Urmson-2004-8958,
author = {Christopher Urmson and Joshua Anhalt and Michael Clark and Tugrul Galatali and Juan Pablo Gonzalez and Jay Gowdy and Alexander Gutierrez and Sam Harbaugh and Matthew Johnson-Roberson and Hiroki Kato and Phillip L. Koon and Kevin Peterson and Bryon K. Smith and Spencer Spiker and Erick Tryzelaar and William (Red) L. Whittaker},
title = {High Speed Navigation of Unrehearsed Terrain: Red Team Technology for Grand Challenge 2004},
year = {2004},
month = {June},
institute = {Carnegie Mellon University},
address = {Pittsburgh, PA},
number = {CMU-RI-TR-04-37},
keywords = {mobile robot, navigation, sensors, path planning, field robotics},
}