Robot Perception and Sensing for Environmental Awareness

Abstract

Robot perception and sensing for environmental awareness is a rapidly growing field that seeks to develop robots capable of monitoring and understanding the environment in a variety of settings. This paper provides a literature review of the existing and proposed methodologies in this field, focusing on the sensing modalities and machine learning models used for environmental monitoring and management. The paper also discusses the limitations and challenges associated with these methodologies, as well as the future directions and opportunities for research. Existing methodologies in robot perception and sensing for environmental awareness include LIDAR-based mapping, RGB-D object recognition, acoustic sensing, thermal imaging, and chemical sensing. These methodologies have been applied in various contexts, such as environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and disaster response, and have shown promise in improving our understanding of the environment and addressing environmental challenges. However, they also have limitations, such as range, resolution, sensitivity, and susceptibility to environmental factors. Proposed methodologies in robot perception and sensing for environmental awareness aim to overcome some of these limitations by integrating multiple sensing modalities and using data fusion techniques to improve accuracy and robustness. Multi-modal sensing and fusion can combine LIDAR, RGB-D cameras, microphones, and gas sensors to enable more comprehensive and accurate monitoring and assessment of environmental conditions and hazards. Future work in this field could focus on the development of more advanced and robust machine learning models, integration of more diverse and advanced sensing modalities, exploration of new applications and use cases, development of more efficient and scalable hardware and software platforms, and integration of robot sensing technologies with other data sources. Overall, robot perception and sensing for environmental awareness is an exciting and important field with significant potential to improve our understanding and management of the environment. The methodologies reviewed in this paper provide valuable insights and solutions to a wide range of environmental challenges, and future work in this field has the potential to make significant contributions to environmental science, management, and policy.