Fixed computation real-time sonar fusion for local navigation

A system is described for the spatial and temporal fusion of multiple sonars into a dynamic model which serves as a basis for local navigation. In order to guarantee that the robot´s actions remain in synchrony with the changing state of the world, there is a continuous mapping from sonar readings to local model to navigation plan and, finally, to actuator commands. Because of this tight coupling of sensing and action, the responsiveness of the system is limited by the computational power of the processor and the required fidelity of the fused model. To address this tradeoff, the system is implemented using the GAPPS/REX circuit-based language. Analysis of the resulting fixed sized circuits allows computation tradeoffs to be made between the system fidelity and the responsiveness required by the operating environment. A description is presented of the sensor fusion and navigation algorithms, as well as the results of the system controlling MITRE´s mobile robot Uncle Bob