t1d-map - Map building

The main task is to implement a function to fuse the laser scan data into the occupancy grid map. You will learn the Bayesian update of the grid map and the practical limitations of its usage. Further, you will experience a dataset with sensory data to speed up your workflow.

Files Mapper.py - File to be implemented
bresenham.py - Implementation of the Bresenham's line algorithm
utils.py - Helpers for evaluation, drawing, and saving figures
data - Scenarios and reference solutions in pkl files
t1d-map.py - Evaluation script
t1d-map-navsim.py - Evaluation script for simulation
Resources Introduction to CoppeliaSim/V-REP and Open-Loop Robot Locomotion Control
Exteroceptive sensing and Reactive-based Obstacle Avoidance
redcp.zip,
t1d-map.zip - Initial files and evaluation script
Implement and revise
  • Mapper.fuse_laser_scan() in Mapper.py,
  • Mapper.update_free() in Mapper.py,
  • Map.update_occupied() in Mapper.py.
  • You can use ControllerReactive from t1b-react or the provided ControllerReactive.py.

Assignment

In Mapper.py, implement the fuse_laser_scan function to fuse new data into the occupancy grid map as the robot traverses the environment. The laser scan measurements shall be fused to the grid using the Bayesian update described in Map Building. The input parameters of the function are:

  1. grid_map - OccupancyGrid - grid map representation;
  2. laser_scan - LaserScan - contains the current laser scan data perceived by the robot.;
  3. odometry - Odometry - pose.position.x, pose.position.y and pose.orientation.quaternion encode the current robot absolute position in the environment.

The function returns:

  1. the OccupancyGrid with the grid map fused with the new laser scan data; when the laser scan or the odometry data is invalid, the function returns a copy of the grid map on the output.

The fuse_laser_scan function in the Mapper.py class has the following prescription.

    def fuse_laser_scan(self, grid_map: OccupancyGrid, laser_scan: LaserScan, odometry: Odometry) -> OccupancyGrid:
        """ Method to fuse the laser scan data sampled by the robot with a given 
            odometry into the probabilistic occupancy grid map
        Args:
            grid_map: OccupancyGrid - grid map to fuse the laser scan to
            laser_scan: LaserScan - laser scan perceived by the robot
            odometry: Odometry - perceived odometry of the robot
        Returns:
            grid_map_update: OccupancyGrid - grid map updated with the laser scan data
        """


Approach

The recommended approach for the occupancy map building using the Bayesian approach is to follow Map Building. The OccupancyGrid represents a probabilistic representation of the word. In particular, the variable “OccupancyGrid.data” holds the probabilities of individual states to be occupied. The metadata further parameterizes the map in the OccupancyGrid:

Hence the approach to the fusion the laser scan data into the occupancy grid map can be as follows.

$\qquad\bullet\,$ Detailed description and guidance for the step (click to view)

$\qquad\bullet\,$ Detailed description and guidance for the step (click to view)

$\qquad\bullet\,$ Detailed description and guidance for the step (click to view)

$\qquad\bullet\,$ Detailed description and guidance for the step (click to view)

$\qquad\bullet\,$ Detailed description and guidance for the step (click to view)

The probability values shall never reach 0 or 1!!!

The probability values shall never reach 0 or 1!!! The effect of letting it happen is the inability of the map to dynamically add/delete obstacles, as demonstrated in the following example.

Correct behavior Wrong behavior
In the evaluation script t1d-map, the grid map is predefined with the size $100\times100$ points and correct map origin of $(-5,-5, 0)^T$ and orientation $(0,0,0,1)$, which is prepared exactly for seamless finishing of the t1d-map assignment. However, consider generalizing your solution to allow for a dynamically growing map.

Example behavior


Evaluation

The evaluation focus on the ability of the robot to do the correct probabilistic update. Two evaluation scripts are provided, t1d-map.py using recorded dataset data/scan_dataset.pkl and data/grid_map.pkl. The second script, t1d-map-navsim.py, utilizes ControllerReactive from t1b-react for navigation of the robot in the simulation environment.

The code can be evaluated using the following script (also attached as t1d-map.py).

    dataset = pickle.load( open( "data/scan_dataset.pkl", "rb" ) )
    reference = pickle.load( open( "data/gridmap.pkl", "rb" ) )
    print('Loaded dataset and reference')
 
    scan_n = 0
    for scan, odometry in dataset: #process the dataset
        sys.stdout.write('\rFusing scan %3d' % scan_n)
        scan_n += 1
        gridmap = mapper.fuse_laser_scan(gridmap, scan, odometry) #get the current laser scan and odometry and fuse them to the map
    print('\nAll scan fused compare the map with reference')
    fig = plot_map(gridmap, 'Map - Created map')
    image_file = RESULT_DIR + '/map-fused.png'
    save_image(fig, 'Save created map to ' + image_file, image_file)

Furthermore, the evaluation using simulation t1d-map-navsim.py is as follows.

    robot = hexapod.HexapodRobot(Controller())
    mapper = Mapper()
 
    robot.turn_on() #turn on the robot 
    robot.start_navigation() #start navigation thread
    goals = [ #assign goal for navigation
        Pose(Vector3(3.5, 3.5, 0), Quaternion(1, 0, 0, 0)), 
        Pose(Vector3(0.0, 0.0, 0), Quaternion(1, 0, 0, 0)), 
    ]
 
    plt.ion() #prepare the online plot
    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
 
    gridmap = OccupancyGrid() #prepare the gridmap
    gridmap.resolution = 0.1
 
    gridmap.width = 100
    gridmap.height = 100
    gridmap.origin = Pose(Vector3(-5.0, -5.0, 0.0), Quaternion(1, 0, 0, 0))
    gridmap.data = 0.5*np.ones((gridmap.height*gridmap.width))
 
    for goal in goals: #go from goal to goal
        robot.goto_reactive(goal)
        while robot.navigation_goal is not None:
            plt.cla()
            #get the current laser scan and odometry and fuse them to the map
            gridmap = mapper.fuse_laser_scan(gridmap, robot.laser_scan_, robot.odometry_)
            redraw_map(ax, gridmap) #plot the map
    robot.stop_navigation()
    robot.turn_off()

The expected output is the visually correct environment map, even for dynamic events.