Posture estimation of hose-shaped robot using microphone array localization

This paper presents a posture estimation of hose-shaped robot using microphone array localization. The hose-shaped robots, one of major rescue robots, have problems with navigation because their posture is too flexible for a remote operator to control to go as far as desired. For navigational and mission usability, the posture estimation of the hose-shaped robot is essential. We developed a posture estimation method with a microphone array and small loudspeakers equipped on the hose-shaped robot. Our method consists of two steps: (1) playing a known sound from the loudspeaker one-by-one, and (2) estimating the microphone positions on the hose-shaped robot instead of estimating the posture directly. We designed a time difference of arrival (TDOA) estimation method to be robust against directional noise and implemented a prototype system using a posture model of the hose-shaped robot and an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). The validity of our approach is evaluated by the experiments with both signals recorded in an anechoic chamber and simulated data.