REU Report: The LineMap Cartographer

Abstract

This cartographer is designed for a two dimensional system, where sensors on the robot return the distance and angle of a detected object and where the position and orientation of the robot is known in some global frame. Based on these knowns, the coordinates of the object are calculated in the global frame and stored as points. The map consists of a series of boxes, whose length and orientation are determined by line segments formed by line fits of groups of these points. If lines grow together, they are linked, and if the environment changes, they are split or erased. The cartographer is best suited for mapping environments with straight boundaries.