Localization of a mobile robot using a laser range finder in a hierarchical navigation system

The authors propose a hierarchical navigation system and the use of a line-scanning laser range finder for the localization of a mobile robot. For a mobile robot to navigate through an environment to a goal position the dead reckoning does not provide the accuracy of the position en-route, and the position needs be estimated through an external sensing mechanism. The localization of a mobile robot is discussed as part of a hierarchical navigation system based on a laser rangefinder device in an indoor environment. The localization is considered as a way of providing position feedback to the mobile robot. The localization is performed in steps of prediction of an environment around the mobile robot, range measurement, and disparity estimation to determine the location of the robot. A local map of the environment is predicted from the current map of the environment, and compared with the sensor readings to compensate for the errors of the driving system