Building world models for mobile platforms using heterogeneous sensors fusion and temporal analysis

The Michigan Offroad Sensor Fusing Experimental Testbed (MOSFET) is an autonomous vehicle designed to navigate an unknown terrain which includes obstacles, lanes, and other traditional roadside obstructions. In order to gather data about the world around it, MOSFET is equipped with several heterogeneous sensors. These sensors include one forward-looking camera used for obstacle detection and lane tracking; two side-looking cameras used for lane sensing: and a bank of sonar sensors used to detect physical obstacles. MOSFET's intelligence consists of three steps: it extracts information from each individual sensor; it accomplishes a systematic fusion of the information extracted from the individual sensors; and it augments this fused information by the use of temporal analysis, which keeps track of previous obstacle information and updates that information in accordance with the movement of the vehicle. MOSFET navigates by keeping within the lanes while simultaneously avoiding obstacles and other road-side obstructions.