Localization by Maximum-Likelihood Matching of Range Maps

A procedure for determining the location of an instrumentation platform on natural terrain is based on a concept of maximum-likelihood matching of two range maps: (1) a local range map generated by processing of images of the terrain in the immediate vicinity acquired by stereoscopic video cameras mounted on the platform and (2) a previously generated range map of a larger surrounding terrain area (a "global" map) in a known frame of reference. The procedure, which is still undergoing testing and refinement, was developed primarily to aid the autonomous navigation of exploratory robotic vehicles on distant planets. The procedure might also be adaptable to similar applications on Earth and to such related applications as enabling blind persons to determine their locations in previously mapped natural and artificial environments.