A novel indoor mobile robot mapping with USB-16 ultrasonic sensor bank and NWA optimization algorithm

This paper highlights on the development of a Ultrasonic Sensor Bank with sixteen pieces 40 kHz ultrasonic sensor (USB-16) mounted on hexadecagon-based plate on a mobile robot to perform real time 2D and 3D mapping. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the capability of USB-16 in providing an accurate map in terms of the walls perimeter and its shape, where the robot is located. Each wall will be scanned with USB-16 sensor bank to measure the distance between the center of sensor bank and the wall. The Homogeneous Transformation Matrix (HTM) and trigonometrically algorithm is utilized in this research as a wall mapping algorithm and is clearly explained in this paper. An optimum wall mapping algorithm was introduced to minimize measurement error. The optimum wall mapping technique named a Nominal Wall Angle (NWA) using trigonometric approach was introduced to improve the mapping accuracy. This algorithm has the capability to improve the ultrasonic mapping accuracy during the scanning process and is different from data manipulation technique like most of similar researches currently adapted. The comparison of experimental results before and after implementation of the optimization technique in different wall shape (Curve, Square, Rectangle, Triangle and Laboratory environment) will be presented in this paper. The results are very impressive, where the implementation of NWA algorithm is able to produce an accurate wall mapping compared with the actual wall size. LabVIEW software, Basic Atom and BASIC Stamp microcontroller are fully utilized to produce the real time 2D and 3D graph during the USB-16 mapping.