Autonomous mobile robot exploration in negative obstacle environment

Restricted 3D simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) can be achived in an environment that has negative and positive obstacles, using a 2D SLAM and a 3D mapping together. Exploration can utilize 2D navigation, which uses a 2D map constructed with respect to 3D map obstacles both negative and positive, and free areas. Robocup, Rescue League, Exploration 4 competition is designed to measure real platform autonomous mobile robot exploration capabilities in an negative obstacle scene. In this paper aforementioned exploration approach is implemented in a simulation environment created in Gazebo similar to Exploration 4 arena, using Robot Operating System (ROS).