Physically-based Simulation Model for Acoustic Sensor Robot Navigation

Abstract

A computer model is described that combines concepts from the fields of acoustics, linear system theory and digital signal processing to simulate an acoustic sensor navigation system using time-of-flight ranging. By separating the transmitter/receiver into separate components and assuming mirror-like reflectors, closed-form solutions for the reflections from corners, edges and walls are determined as a function of transducer size, location and orientation. A floor plan consisting of corners, walls and edges is efficiently encoded to indicate which of these elements contribute to a particular pulse-echo response. Sonar maps produced by transducers having different resonant frequencies and transmitted pulse waveforms can then be simulated efficiently. Examples of simulated sonar maps of two floor plans illustrate the performance of the model. Actual sonar maps are presented to verify the simulation results.