Toward Autonomous Garbage Collection Robots in Terrains with Different Elevations

Abstract

The practical application of robotic technologies can significantly reduce the burden on human workers, which is particularly important when considering the declining birthrates and aging populations in Japan and around the world. In this paper, we present our work toward realizing one such application, namely outdoor autonomous garbage collection robots. We address issues related to outdoor garbage recognition and autonomous navigation (mapping, localization, and re-localization) in crowded outdoor environments and areas with different terrain elevations. Our approach was experimentally validated in real urban settings during the Nakanoshima Challenge and Nakanoshima Challenge – Extra Challenge, where we managed to complete all tasks.