Graph-based Exploration Planner for Subterranean Environments

• Clone the package:

git clone https://github.com/unr-arl/gbplanner_ros

• Build the package:

catkin build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release gbplanner_ros

However, please be aware that the planner requires several dependencies; for example:

• Mapping framework: either Voxblox or Octomap
• Planner-Control interface package: pci_mav
• MAV simulation: RotorS, LiDAR simulator

Hence, to simplify the test process with the planner, we prepare an example workspace gbplanner_ws, which includes all relevant packages. Please follow the suggested steps in the repo gbplanner_ws for further detail.

• Launch file for simulation:

roslaunch gbplanner gbplanner_sim.launch

• To trigger the planner in command line, please use the service call:

rosservice call /planner_control_interface/std_srvs/automatic_planning "{}"

• We provide several types of environment for simulation in the package planner_gazebo_sim including room-and-pillar mine (pittsburgh_mine.world), long-wall mine (edgar_mine.world), and a model reconstructed from a real mine (virginia_mine.world)

By default, the planner is compiled with Voxblox. To compile with Octomap, set the flag USE_OCTOMAP to 1:

catkin build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DUSE_OCTOMAP=1 gbplanner_ros

Also change the config to Octomap in the gbplanner_sim.launch file

<arg name="map_config_file" default="$(arg octomap_config_file)"/>

You could find a short tutorial on the plannning algorithm and the overall architecture on our website: Link

If you use this work in your research, please cite the following publication.

@inproceedings{dang2019graph,
  title={Graph-based path planning for autonomous robotic exploration in subterranean environments},
  author={Dang, Tung and Mascarich, Frank and Khattak, Shehryar and Papachristos, Christos and Alexis, Kostas},
  booktitle={2019 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
  pages={3105--3112},
  year={2019},
  organization={IEEE}
}

You can contact us for any question:

• Tung Dang
• Kostas Alexis