1. MOWLES Interim Progress Report
Rian Kistner, Kathleen McLane,
Joseph Navarro
March 8, 2018

2. Agenda Introduction Objectives & Scope Technical Approach
Project Plan & Deliverables
Project Status
Progress-to-Date
Challenges & Next Steps

3. Background/Introduction
MOWLES’ Purpose:
Develop an unmanned platform capable of surveying tunnels and buildings without risk to human life.
System:
Platform
GVR-Bot
Software Package
Sensor
Requirement: A low-cost, low-power, small form factor sensor platform capable of producing 3D point clouds.
Sponsor:
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL) Topographic Engineering Center (TEC)
Multi-Operational Wireless Ranging and Low-Power LIDAR Exploitation of Subterranean Structures (MOWLES)
Image source:

4. Table: Potential Sensors Identified by TEC Team
Kinect V1/V2
Orbbec Astra
ZED Photogrammetry
Size
5.46 x 14.2 x 6.48 mm
160 x 30 x 40 mm
175 x 30 x 33 mm
Weight
2.27 kg
0.3 kg
0.159 kg
Range Limit m
0.6-8 m m
Angular Field of View
57 degrees horiz/43 degrees vertical
60 degrees horiz/49.5 degrees vertical
110 degree field of view
Resolution
1280x960
30 FPS
30 FPS
Computer System
Microsoft Based
Open source/Windows 7/8/10/Linux/Android
Windows 7,8,10/Linux
Mapping
Dense Point Cloud map/RTAB Mapping
Highly dense point cloud maps/Elastic fusion
Dense point cloud maps/RTAB map or ZEDfu
Issues
V1-discontinued Apr 2016/V2 discontinued Oct 2017/USB discontinued in Jan 2018
Hard drive not recognized
Need a high performance laptop
Kinect Image Source: amazon.com
Orbecca Astra Image Source: lightbuzz.com
ZED Image Source: thenextweb.com
Table: Potential Sensors Identified by TEC Team

5. Objectives & Scope Objectives
To create a decision analysis tool to help ERDC GRL select a sensor for the GVR-bot
To critically analyze if the DA tool provides accurate outputs
To draft a test plan to be used by ERDC GRL in evaluation of the GVR-bot
Scope
The sensor of the GVR-bot will be the main focus of the project. This includes sensor selection, sensor testing, and sensor evaluation

6. Technical Approach Key factors and metrics for decision analysis
Sensor Accuracy
Power Efficiency
Hardware/Software Compatibility
Environmental Factors
Assumptions
2 Identified Sensors: only sensors being considered
Test Plan Objectives
Limitations
Computer software
Defining stakeholder interests
Orbbec Astra sensor would rely on saved data sets for SLAM module evaluation (no live feed)
Assumption includes the fact that one of the sensors (Kinect) has been discontinued.

7. MOWLES Five-Year Plan to Reach Scheduled Objectives
Project Plan
Deliverables:
Decision Support System (DSS) on available sensors
Generate Test Plans for testing sensors
MOWLES Five-Year Plan to Reach Scheduled Objectives

8. Project Status Completed On-going Not Started Sensor research
DSS design
Test plan construction
Not Started
DSS application construction
Final Report/Website

9. Progress-to-Date Stakeholder Interaction Test Plan Development
Approval of Decision Support System focus and approach
Setting up test site visit still pending
(3/8 interaction) Inclusion of trying to qualitatively measure differences in two SLAM modules on sensors, as well as qualitatively show differences for ZED photogrammetry SDK versions
Test Plan Development
Objectives of next scheduled test determined
Light-threshold detection
Depth-perception analysis
GPU effect on GVR-bot’s battery capacity
Stakeholder interactions, models, data analyses, preliminary results

10. Progress-to-Date (2) Research on Sensors Physical specifications
Processing units
Performance
Camera software
Price
Environmental working conditions
Availability

11. Progress-to-Date (3) Preliminary Sensor DSS Design Inputs
Sensor specifications
Outside conditions for sensor
Output
Sensor name with details

12. Challenges & Next Steps
Issues
Limited testing data on sensors available
Sponsor communication
Next Steps
Construct DSS in Microsoft Excel using data collected
Draft test plan

13. Backup Slides

14. New Sensor Information from Sponsor
SLAM Modules
ElasticFusion is better than DensePoint Cloud
Why?
ZED Photogrammetry Sensor
Improvements with newest SDK (Software Development Kit)
Why? How much better?
ZED vs. Astra
ZED has superior sensor specs
Astra sensor produces better RTABMAP SLAM modules than the ZED
Kinect no longer viable option

15. New Test Plan Information from Sponsor
Goals of GVR-Bot + Sensor:
Collect dense and sparse point clouds
Determine effects of light level
Determine effects of GPU on battery
Mapping
Data types: Sparse and Dense
Environment/conditions
Robot will be manually driven with joystick
Data collection controlled manually
Data collected to hard drive / SD card
Data processing will take place off-site
Tasks Beyond Mapping (Low Priority to TEC team)
Investigate data thinning options
Fusing data with existing point clouds
Georeferencing Point Clouds
Timelines for Outputs
Dense point cloud with RTABMAP – now
Mobile highly dense point cloud – end of 3Q (awaiting laptop)
Photogrammetry – end of 3Q (awaiting laptop)

16. MOWLES Program-Specific Metrics and Exit Criteria

17. Previous Recommendations
If time permits, we will revisit the recommendations for next steps made by the previous GMU team.
Create a Capabilities Description Document (CDD) for various GVR-Bot configurations relating to the platform and sensors used.
Refine Tactical & Operational Objectives. Specifically, determine a suitable metric to measure effectiveness for different mission types.