Planning observation positions for a mobile robot to update incomplete maps of indoor environments

For mobile robots working in a dynamic environment, there is a great need for a global environment map that should be updated timely. In the paper, we propose methods for the map updating purpose by using a specialized mobile robot. The map updating system is composed of two basic processing components: local change detection and global observation planning. Principal strategies for the observation position planning are developed making good use of knowledge both from an outmoded initial map and from up-to-date sensory information. The paper gives a detailed description of the new method: moving around object clusters. Simulation results show this method is efficient even for detecting large changes in a complex environment.