Multi-transducer sonar interpretation

In response to difficulties with interpretation of data from narrow beam time-of-flight sonar for robotics, an algorithm for sonar interpretation that uses the entire return signals from several transducers with broad, overlapping fields of view is presented. The result is an algorithm that reconstructs the geometry in front of the robot with only a moderate amount of robot motion. Preliminary results with a three transducer system are shown. The results demonstrate an unusual ability to recover the presence of obstacles even when they are partially masked by closer obstacles. The quality of the reconstruction is limited by the small amplitude of the robot translational motions, by the return signal peak width, and by orientation dead-reckoning error on the robot.<>