Where is Charlie ?

In robotic, SLAM stands for Simultaneous Localization And Mapping. This technique is used to create a map of the surroundings of the robot (see examples).

I recently purchased some new products. The aim is to build a mapping device for the Agayon. This small project will be built from

• a Lidar Lite v3,
• a 5V stepper motor,
• two pulleys (a small oneand a larger one),
• a timing belt
• a compatible arduino nano v3,
• a slip ring,
• an Arduino motor shield V2.3,
• and a homemade wooden chassis.

This module will a part of the Agayon. It aims to map a room in 2 dimensions but 3 dimensional mapping should be possible by using a small servomotor (see this example).

About the chassis

Furthermore, four ultrasonic sensors have been mounted on the Agayon. Their purpose is to prevent it to get too close of surrounding walls. This function is complementary to the SLAM system. Indeed, these sensors are closer to the ground and the lidar could not see obstacles at 15-20 cm to the ground.

Links

The mapping system is inspired by the following nice projects:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as3NhsMiWXo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIvOWfxFefc
• http://blog.trossenrobotics.com/2015/07/13/lidar-lite-360-mirror-scanner/
• https://hackaday.io/project/4087-360-degree-lidar-lite-scanner
• BreezySLAM and http://aerospacerobotics.com/blogs/learn/14881837-unraveling-breezyslam