Method Article

Enhanced Visual SLAM and Path Planning for Autonomous Navigation of Wheeled Mobile Robots

DOI:

10.3791/68794

October 3rd, 2025

In This Article

Summary

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This study presents an approach to improve WMR autonomous indoor navigation by optimizing visual SLAM and path planning algorithms. It integrates multi-sensor fusion, enhances feature extraction, and applies trajectory optimization techniques for better localization, obstacle avoidance, and smoother paths, demonstrating superior performance in real-world and simulated environments.

Abstract

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This research focuses on important technologies used in wheeled mobile robot autonomous navigation, such as path planning optimization, system integration, and advancements in visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques. An enhanced approach is suggested to overcome localization issues in traditional visual odometry brought on by duplicated or unevenly distributed feature points. This approach combines Efficient Perspective-n-Point (EPNP) feature matching, iterative closest point (ICP) pose optimization, and quadtree-based feature management. According to experimental findings, the suggested method greatly increases localization accuracy and stability. A dense point cloud reconstruction technique based on RGB-D data is developed to improve the completeness and detail of environmental representation while mitigating the sparsity often seen in point cloud maps produced by conventional SLAM systems. In order to enhance path quality and computational efficiency, an enhanced rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT) method is presented, which incorporates adaptive step-size management, goal biasing, and B-spline-based path smoothing. Furthermore, real-time local obstacle avoidance in dynamic situations is made possible by the integration of the Timed Elastic Band (TEB) algorithm. Comprehensive real-world tests have confirmed the usefulness of the suggested solutions in terms of efficiency, robustness, and practical applicability after they were implemented on an experimental platform based on the Robot Operating System (ROS).

Introduction

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The potential and application patterns of robotics are undergoing a period of rapid transformation, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence technologies. In recent years, Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (Visual SLAM) and its extension to Visual-Inertial Navigation Systems (VINS) have made substantial progress in terms of robustness and localization accuracy1. To enhance the initialization reliability under challenging conditions such as low texture and poor illumination, Campos et al. proposed ORB-SLAM3, which introduces a multi-map system and improved initialization for visual and visual-inertial systems

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Protocol

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1. Hardware platform

  1. Prepare the two-wheeled differential-drive mobile robot platform suitable for indoor navigation (see Figure 1). This platform uses two independently driven wheels aligned along the center of the chassis and passive caster wheels at the front and rear to ensure mechanical balance and maneuverability.
  2. Mount the differential drive wheels along the central longitudinal axis of the chassis. Use a hex screwdriver to align and fasten the wheel shafts into the motor hubs. Ensure the wheels are firmly attached but rotate freely without axial wobble. Verify that both wheels are aligned pre....

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Results

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Evaluation of improved ORB-SLAM2
Feature extraction experiment
To evaluate the effectiveness of an RGB-D depth camera in practical scenarios, a feature point extraction experiment was conducted. The test was designed using two distinct background environments, each varying in object color and brightness to simulate real-world visual complexity.

Both the proposed improved extraction method and the conventional baseline approach were applied to the same .......

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Discussion

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The two key technologies in autonomous interior navigation systems for wheeled mobile robots that are the focus of this study are visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)16,17and path planning18. The SLAM module proposes a quadtree-based hierarchical selection method to correct the uneven feature point distribution of ORB-SLAM2. To enhance the precision of the generated map, an asynchronous dense mapping approach is employed. Th.......

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Disclosures

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgements

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We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Associate Professor Kok Hwa Yu from Universiti Sains Malaysia for his invaluable guidance throughout this study. We also appreciate the assistance provided by our fellow student Jingtao Jia from Kunming University of Science and Technology, whose support greatly contributed to the success of this work.

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Astra Pro Plus 3D CameraCRBBECNone3D Camera
TARKBOT-R20-TWDNoneNoneROS Robot

References

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  1. Qin, T., Li, P., Shen, S. VINS-Mono: a robust and versatile monocular visual-inertial state estimator. IEEE T Robot. 34 (4), 1004-1020 (2018).
  2. Campos, C., Elvira, R., Rodríguez, J. J. G., Montiel, J. M. M., Tardós, J. D. ORB-SLAM3: an accurate ope....

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Tags

Visual SLAMPath PlanningWheeled Mobile RobotsAutonomous NavigationFeature MatchingPoint Cloud ReconstructionRapidly Exploring Random TreeTimed Elastic BandPose OptimizationRobot Operating System

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