Visualization Technique for Unmanned Ground Vehicles Using Point Clouds

Tele-operation of Unmanned Ground Vehicles is facilitated by provision of cameras which give the operator visual feedback on the surroundings to aid in navigation. The video feedback which is transmitted on real time from the UGV to the operator console is in two dimensions and hence lacks the depth information. The proposed technique employs a 3D scanner which scans electronically the area in front in one plane. The scanner perceives the environment in 3D. The resulting Point Cloud from the sensor shall be displayed on the operator's console and thereafter subjected to visual transformation to provide the operator with a perspective view of the area in front of the UGV. The scope of the project is to utilize a scanner and prove the concept in static mode whereby the software developed shall be able to generate a 3D model using the point cloud data from the sensor.