Ultrasonic distance scanning techniques for mobile robots
Authors: D.T. Pham, Ze Ji, Anthony Soroka
Abstract
This paper discusses about the usage of ultrasound in the application of mobile robot navigation. Two methods using an array of transducers are described with theoretical analyses and practical experiments, namely the phased array and the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) method. These two methods are also compared with the conventional Time of Flight (ToF) method. Analyses show that the phased array of ultrasound has a number of advantages, including narrowing the beam width and efficient beam steering. Limitations of it are also discussed, such as the far-field criterion for the phased array and the unavailability of transmitters with desired sizes. The MLE method is using a different approach that employs one transmitter and four or more receivers. The experimental result shows that the locations of reflectors can be represented in the calculated probability map. Reliability can be improved with multiple receivers.
