Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Autonomous Robots 1/2007

01-01-2007

The DARPA PerceptOR evaluation experiments

Authors: Eric Krotkov, Scott Fish, Larry Jackel, Bill McBride, Mike Perschbacher, Jim Pippine

Published in: Autonomous Robots | Issue 1/2007

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

This article describes the conduct of six evaluation experiments for the Perception for Off-Road Robotics program. Key distinctions of the testing methodology include conduct of the experiments by a group independent from the developers, unrehearsed experiments that provide little advance knowledge of the test courses, and blind experiments that do not allow the system operators to see the test courses until testing has completed.
The article presents quantified, objective performance metrics for the systems evaluated. The basis for evaluation is 296 runs traveling 130 km in 110 hr. The results show significant progress over the course of the program, reducing the Emergency-Stops per kilometer by a factor of 22, reducing the uplink data volume per unit distance by a factor of 46 and the downlink data volume per unit distance by a factor of 3.
At the end of Phase III, typical performance in desert terrain by the most reliable system achieved travel speed of 66 cm/s covering 90% of the distance in autonomous mode.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Literature
go back to reference Ansar, A., Huertas, A., Matthies, L., and Goldberg, S. 2004. Enhancement of stereo at range discontinuities. In Proc. of the SPIE UGV Technology IV. Orlando, FL, Vol. 5422, pp. 24–35. Ansar, A., Huertas, A., Matthies, L., and Goldberg, S. 2004. Enhancement of stereo at range discontinuities. In Proc. of the SPIE UGV Technology IV. Orlando, FL, Vol. 5422, pp. 24–35.
go back to reference DARPA, Grand Challenge. 2004. http://www.darpa.mil/grand challenge/ParticipantsConference.html DARPA, Grand Challenge. 2004. http://​www.​darpa.​mil/​grand challenge/ParticipantsConference.html
go back to reference Huertas, A., Matthies, L., and Rankin, A. 2005. Stereo-vision based tree traversability analysis for autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. IEEE Work-shop on Applications of Computer Vision, Breckenridge. Huertas, A., Matthies, L., and Rankin, A. 2005. Stereo-vision based tree traversability analysis for autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. IEEE Work-shop on Applications of Computer Vision, Breckenridge.
go back to reference Kelly, A., Stentz, A., Amidi, O., Bode, M., Bradley, D., Diaz-Calderon, A., Happold, M., Herman, H., Mandelaum, R., Pilarski, T., Rander, P., Thayer, S., Vallidis, N., and Warner, R. 2004. Toward reliable off-road autonomous vehicle operating in challenging environments. In Proc. International Symposium on Experimental Robotics, Singapore. Kelly, A., Stentz, A., Amidi, O., Bode, M., Bradley, D., Diaz-Calderon, A., Happold, M., Herman, H., Mandelaum, R., Pilarski, T., Rander, P., Thayer, S., Vallidis, N., and Warner, R. 2004. Toward reliable off-road autonomous vehicle operating in challenging environments. In Proc. International Symposium on Experimental Robotics, Singapore.
go back to reference Kluge, K. and Morgenthaler, M. 2004. Multi-horizon reactive and deliberative planning for autonomous cross-country navigation. In Proc. SPIE Conference 5422: Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology VI, pp. 461–472. Kluge, K. and Morgenthaler, M. 2004. Multi-horizon reactive and deliberative planning for autonomous cross-country navigation. In Proc. SPIE Conference 5422: Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology VI, pp. 461–472.
go back to reference Krotkov, E. and Blitch, J. 1999. The DARPA tactical mobile robotics program. Intl. Journal of Robotics Research, 18(7):769–776.CrossRef Krotkov, E. and Blitch, J. 1999. The DARPA tactical mobile robotics program. Intl. Journal of Robotics Research, 18(7):769–776.CrossRef
go back to reference Matthies, L., Bellutta, P., and McHenry, M. 2003a. Detecting water hazards for autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. SPIE Conference 5083: Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology V. Orlando, FL, pp. 231–242. Matthies, L., Bellutta, P., and McHenry, M. 2003a. Detecting water hazards for autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. SPIE Conference 5083: Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology V. Orlando, FL, pp. 231–242.
go back to reference Matthies, L., Bergh, C., Castano, A., Macedo, J., and Manduchi, R. 2003b. Obstacle detection in foliage with ladar and radar. In Proc. 11th International Symposium of Robotics Research. Siena, Italy. Matthies, L., Bergh, C., Castano, A., Macedo, J., and Manduchi, R. 2003b. Obstacle detection in foliage with ladar and radar. In Proc. 11th International Symposium of Robotics Research. Siena, Italy.
go back to reference Matthies, L. and Rankin, A. 2003. Negative obstacle detection by thermal signature. In Proc. IEEE Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). Las Vegas. Matthies, L. and Rankin, A. 2003. Negative obstacle detection by thermal signature. In Proc. IEEE Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). Las Vegas.
go back to reference Ollis, M. and Jochem, T. 2003. Structural method for obstacle detection and terrain classification. In Proc. SPIE AeroSense Conf. Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology V. Orlando, Vol. 5083. Ollis, M. and Jochem, T. 2003. Structural method for obstacle detection and terrain classification. In Proc. SPIE AeroSense Conf. Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology V. Orlando, Vol. 5083.
go back to reference Rankin, A., Bergh, C., Goldberg, S., Bellutta, P., Huertas, A., and Matthies, L. 2005. Passive perception system for day/night autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. SPIE Defense and Security Symposium: Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology VI Conference. Orlando, pp. 343–358. Rankin, A., Bergh, C., Goldberg, S., Bellutta, P., Huertas, A., and Matthies, L. 2005. Passive perception system for day/night autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. SPIE Defense and Security Symposium: Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology VI Conference. Orlando, pp. 343–358.
go back to reference Spofford, J., Herron, J., Anhalt, D., Morgenthaler, M., and DeHerrera, C. 2003. Off-road perception testbed vehicle design and evaluation, in unmanned ground vehicle technology V, In Proc. SPIE AeroSense Conference. Orlando, Vol. 5083, pp. 347–357. Spofford, J., Herron, J., Anhalt, D., Morgenthaler, M., and DeHerrera, C. 2003. Off-road perception testbed vehicle design and evaluation, in unmanned ground vehicle technology V, In Proc. SPIE AeroSense Conference. Orlando, Vol. 5083, pp. 347–357.
go back to reference Stentz, A., Kelly, A., Herman, H., Rander, P., Amidi, O., and Mandelbaum, R. 2002. Integrated air/ground vehicle system for semi-autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. Orlando. Stentz, A., Kelly, A., Herman, H., Rander, P., Amidi, O., and Mandelbaum, R. 2002. Integrated air/ground vehicle system for semi-autonomous off-road navigation. In Proc. Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. Orlando.
go back to reference Stentz, A., Kelly, A., Rander, P., Herman, H., Amidi, O., Mandelbaum, R. Salgian, G., and Pedersen, J. 2003. Real-time, multi-perspective perception for unmanned ground vehicles. In Proc. Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Baltimore. Stentz, A., Kelly, A., Rander, P., Herman, H., Amidi, O., Mandelbaum, R. Salgian, G., and Pedersen, J. 2003. Real-time, multi-perspective perception for unmanned ground vehicles. In Proc. Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Baltimore.
go back to reference Technology Development for Army Unmanned Ground Vehicles. 2002. Committee on Army Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology, Board on Army Science and Technology. Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, National Research Council, The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C. Technology Development for Army Unmanned Ground Vehicles. 2002. Committee on Army Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology, Board on Army Science and Technology. Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, National Research Council, The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
go back to reference Vandapel, N., Donamukkala, R., and Hebert, M. 2003. Quality assessment of traversability maps from aerial LIDAR data for an unmanned ground vehicle. In Proc. Intl. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Las Vegas. Vandapel, N., Donamukkala, R., and Hebert, M. 2003. Quality assessment of traversability maps from aerial LIDAR data for an unmanned ground vehicle. In Proc. Intl. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Las Vegas.
go back to reference Vandapel, N., Donamukkala, R., and Hebert, M. 2006. Unmanned ground vehicle navigation using aerial ladar data. Intl. J. of Robotics Research, 25(1). Vandapel, N., Donamukkala, R., and Hebert, M. 2006. Unmanned ground vehicle navigation using aerial ladar data. Intl. J. of Robotics Research, 25(1).
Metadata
Title
The DARPA PerceptOR evaluation experiments
Authors
Eric Krotkov
Scott Fish
Larry Jackel
Bill McBride
Mike Perschbacher
Jim Pippine
Publication date
01-01-2007
Published in
Autonomous Robots / Issue 1/2007
Print ISSN: 0929-5593
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7527
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10514-006-9000-0

Other articles of this Issue 1/2007

Autonomous Robots 1/2007 Go to the issue