Mapping and localization using GPS, lane markings and proprioceptive sensors

Estimating the pose in real-time is a primary function for intelligent vehicle navigation. Whilst different solutions exist, most of them rely on the use of high-end sensors. This paper proposes a solution that exploits an automotive type L1-GPS receiver, features extracted by low-cost perception sensors and vehicle proprioceptive information. A key idea is to use the lane detection function of a video camera to retrieve accurate lateral and orientation information with respect to road lane markings. To this end, lane markings are mobile-mapped by the vehicle itself during a first stage by using an accurate localizer. Then, the resulting map allows for the exploitation of camera-detected features for autonomous real-time localization. The results are then combined with GPS estimates and dead-reckoning sensors in order to provide localization information with high availability. As L1-GPS errors can be large and are time correlated, we study in the paper several GPS error models that are experimentally tested with shaping filters. The approach demonstrates that the use of low-cost sensors with adequate data-fusion algorithms should lead to computer-controlled guidance functions in complex road networks.