PFI:AIR - TT: AGV-3D: A Low-Cost, Infrastructure-free Localization Solution for FlexibleWarehouse Automation

此PFI：AIR技术翻译项目专注于翻译技术，以满足对无需基础设施的定位系统的需求，以便在大型仓库环境中准确估计自动导引车(AGV)的位置和方向。该系统被称为AGV-3D，它之所以重要，是因为它增强了当前的AGV技术，后者通过提供可靠和安全的手段来满足物料流动需求，进而提高了美国制造业的效率。该项目将导致AGV-3D原型被集成到实际的AGV系统中，并在具有代表性的仓库环境中进行演示。AGV-3D具有以下独特功能：它集成了最新的3D成像技术，能够在大型仓库设施中对AGV车辆进行稳健而准确的定位，而无需在环境中集成电线、磁铁或反射器。与该市场上领先的竞争对手2D激光制导技术相比，这些功能提供了以下优势：更低的每辆车成本、更低的设施安装成本和更高的设施灵活性。该项目解决了以下技术差距(S)，因为它从研究发现转化为商业应用。第一个重大挑战是AGVS所需的定位精度约为1厘米。第二，本地化系统必须非常强大，因为AGV仓库的安装要求非常高的可用性。不幸的是，正确关联地标特征将困难得多，因为与目前的2D激光制导技术不同，人工后向反射器目标不会安装在环境中。因此，在数据关联和重建方面都存在重大挑战。为了应对这些挑战，AGV-3D利用3D数据绘制环境图和地标特征分割。首先，创建该设施的3D重建，以提取突出的自然特征作为地标。接下来，基于地图的定位方法利用3D LIDAR来实现3D地物到地标的匹配，从而将数据关联错误的可能性降至最低。通过采用最新的3D传感器系统，AGV车辆将能够实时跟踪这些3D特征。与基于地图的定位方法相结合，预计将达到厘米级的精度。此外，参与该项目的研究生将通过系统开发，以及通过与机器人、AGV和3D传感领域的公司直接互动，获得创新和技术转换经验。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating technology to fill the need for an infrastructure free localization system to accurately estimate the position and orientation of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) in large-scale warehouse environments. The system is called AGV-3D, and it is important because it enhances current AGV technology, which in turn improves the efficiency of U.S. manufacturing by providing a reliable and safe means of meeting material movement demands. The project will result in an AGV-3D prototype being integrated into an actual AGV system, and demonstrated in a representative warehouse environment. AGV-3D has the following unique features: it integrates the latest in 3D imaging technologies to enable robust and accurate localization of an AGV vehicle in a large-scale warehouse facility without the integration of wires, magnets, or reflectors in the environment. These features provide the following advantages: lower per-vehicle cost, lower facility installation cost, and increased facility flexibility when compared to the leading competing 2D laser guidance technology in this market space. This project addresses the following technology gap(s) as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application. The first significant challenge is that the required positioning accuracy of AGVs is on the order of 1 cm. The second is that the localization system must be extremely robust as AGV warehouse installations require very high levels of availability. Unfortunately, correctly associating landmark features will be far more difficult as unlike current 2D laser guidance technologies, artificial retroreflector targets will not be installed in the environment. Thus, there are significant challenges in both data association and reconstruction. To meet these challenges, AGV-3D leverages 3D data for both mapping the environment and landmark feature segmentation. First, a 3D reconstruction of the facility is created to extract salient natural features as landmarks. Next, a map-based localization approach leverages 3D LIDAR to enable 3D feature-to-landmark matching which minimizes the potential for data association errors. By employing the latest in 3D sensor systems, AGV vehicles will be able to track these 3D features in real-time. In conjunction with the map-based localization approach, centimeter level accuracy is expected. In addition, graduate students involved in this project will receive innovation and technology translation experiences through system development, and through direct interactions with companies in the robotics, AGV, and 3D sensing spaces.