An Innovative Approach to Developing a 3D Virtual Map Creator using an Ultrasonic Sensor Array
Published at : 29 Nov 2019
Volume : IJtech
Vol 10, No 7 (2019)
DOI : https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v10i7.3245
Elsayed, M., Soe, M.T., Kit, W.W., Abdalla, H., 2019. An Innovative Approach to Developing a 3D Virtual Map Creator using an Ultrasonic Sensor Array. International Journal of Technology. Volume 10(7), pp. 1344-1354
| Mahmoud Elsayed | Faculty of Engineering and Technology Multimedia University Melaka, Malaysia |
| Min Thu Soe | - Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University, Jalan Ayer Keroh, 75450, Melaka, Malaysia - |
| Wong Wai Kit | Faculty of Engineering and Technology Multimedia University Melaka, Malaysia |
| Hana Abdalla | Faculty of Engineering and Technology Multimedia University Melaka, Malaysia |
Humans shifted their focus toward robots
when they realized that, with the increased complexity of built environments
and the rapid advances in fields such as manufacturing and civil structures, robots
could serve human development. This paper investigates the development of a
mobile robot that uses ultrasonic sensors to obtain distance readings and
utilizes those readings to draw 3D maps of its surroundings. The robot is
designed to perform in narrow spaces and in rough terrain environments, such as
underground piping structures or underground wiring networks. The wheeled
platform is capable of maneuvering on rough surfaces guided by a specially
designed obstacle navigation strategy using ultrasonic sensors. The mounting of
the 3D mapping sensors is a new and innovative approach that resolves many of
the problems encountered in previous proposed designs for 3D ultrasonic
mappers. The 3D mapping sensors obtain data to create a 2D map and position
localization data to create a 3D form. This paper presents the results obtained
through extensive work on developing the vehicle and testing the control and 3D
mapping algorithm.
Localization; Mapping; Mobile robots; Ultrasonic sensors
This paper
presents the development of an ultrasonic sensor array capable of building a
map of its environment as it travels through it. The ultrasonic sensors are
arranged using an original approach to enable a robot to generate a 3D map of
its surroundings based on three different perspectives: left, right and top.
The authors also propose a novel method to construct a 3D map of the robot
routing environment by abstracting the data from the invented sensory arrays.
In terms of biomedical imaging, Salles et al. (2017) estimated the
velocity of mechanical waves (MW) produced by natural cardiac events such as
aortic valve closure propagating along the left ventricle (LV) wall to
visualize the propagation of MW in 3D and achieve a 3D elasticity map of the LV
to inspect myocardial fibrosis. Pedrosa et al.
(2016) provided an overview of the available ultrasound technology for
cardiac chamber quantification in terms of volume and function and presented
evidence for the value of these parameters when testing the effect of new cardiovascular
therapies.
In the inspection of building structure, De La Haza et al. (2018) discussed the use of a recently developed instrument known as MIRA, which utilizes a patented phased array of dry point contact shear wave transducers to produce 2D and 3D tomography images of concrete structures. This new technology has allowed the operator to obtain in-situ, real-time test results.
Chen et al. (2016) proposed an indoor
mapping suite prototype built upon a novel calibration method that calibrates
the internal and external parameters of multiple RGB-D cameras. Three Kinect
sensors are mounted on a rig with views in several directions to form a large
field of vision. However, in terms of hardware, this prototype is bulkier and
costly as it requires multiple RGB-D cameras, and the visual data, while
satisfactory, are poor in depth data representation. The present authors’
invention is smaller and simpler with less costly hardware as only ultrasonic
sensors are required. Depth data representation is also better.
Wang and Niu
(2018) used Open Street Map (OSM) data to integrate indoor and
outdoor route planning for pedestrians. They focused on the interior
connections of buildings and produced a data model that applies OSM primitives
(nodes, ways, and relations) and tags to capture horizontal and vertical indoor
components as well as connections between indoor and outdoor environments.
However, the generated map is 2D, not 3D. The present authors’ development
generates a 3D map.
The approach presented in this paper
specifically targets 3D mapping tasks for narrow or small spaces as well as
geometrically irregular areas, such as tunnels or underground building
structures for piping and underground wiring work. Therefore, the wheeled
platform was chosen for the design because its wheel motion enables it to
navigate a certain level of rough terrain. The 3D mapping robot is designed
with a user-friendly interactive control system, which is achieved by providing
the user with variable control features in a graphical user interface (GUI).
The
approach presented in this paper solves several problems related to the
commonly used servo motor-based robotic arm, which held one or two ultrasonic
sensors that rotate a minimum of 180 degrees to obtain the desired map. The
design arranged the sensor to cover the full 180 degrees by adapting a
half-circular pattern and enables the mobile robot to collect data for the 3D
map without having to be paused. The test results showed that the mobile robot
navigation strategy functions as desired for the selected operating
environment. The results for the 3D mapping capabilities of the robot show the
expected outcome even though they may seem a relatively inaccurate
interpretation of the testing environment. The problem of the accuracy of the
results can be corrected by incorporating a noise-filtering algorithm such as
the Kalman filter or by utilizing sonar sensors, which provide more accurate
results than ultrasonic sensors.
Special thanks to Multimedia
University for providing funding for the project, which was a major factor in
the development and success of the project (Multimedia University, Mini Fund
2018, MMUI/180176).
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| R2-EECE-3245-20190812084750.jpg | Figure 1 |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812084810.jpg | Figure 2 |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812084911.jpg | Figure 3 |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812084926.jpg | Figure 4 |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812084941.jpg | Figure 5 |
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| R2-EECE-3245-20190812085035.jpg | Figure 7 |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812085058.jpg | Figure 8 |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812085118.jpg | Figure 9a |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812085142.jpg | Figure 9b |
| R2-EECE-3245-20190812085201.jpg | Figure 10 |
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