Mapping for unknown environments using triangulated maps

In this paper we present a new geometrical mapping structure that captures both the geometry and the connectivity of the environment. A robot's ability to successfully complete a required task is bound by its knowledge about the operation environment. Thus, the robot must be able to collect information from its surrounding and map it accurately to create a correct and complete representation of the environment. The solution in this paper uses the Gap-Navigation Tree as the underlying structure for the proposed Triangulation-Based exploration which maps the environment using the Dynamic Triangulation Tree structure DTT developed in this study. The efficiency of the proposed strategy is validated experimentally through simulations. The DTT does not only embed the geometry of the environment but also provides a direct mapping of the connectivity of its free space. The proposed algorithm is tested in simulations using various scenarios for exhaustive validation to prove its main advantages, namely ease of construction, compactness and completeness.