Online classification of gases for environmental exploration

In this paper we investigate how a mobile robot equipped with tin dioxide gas sensors and an anemometer can use an online classification algorithm in order to improve the exploration strategy. The purpose of the platform is to establish the character of a gas source with accuracy while minimizing the time required for exploration. For this to be possible, the output of the classification algorithm is probabilistic, feeding in a sequence of posterior probabilities to a path planner. To further assist path planning, a 3d-ultrasonic anemometer is available which give indication on the average wind speed and direction. In addition to evaluating different olfaction driven path planning strategies, experimental validations also evaluate the classification algorithms and its application to different environments with varying characteristics.