Design of a Terrain Mapping System for Low-cost Exploration Robots based on Stereo Vision

This paper proposes a low-cost system for terrestrial mapping and exploration of inaccessible or subterranean environments by using stereo vision with two cameras, image processing and a developed algorithm based on disparity maps that reconstructs a 3D map of the explored environment. The tests were performed on a robot with two stereo vision cameras mounted on a turret with 360 degrees freedom of movement. The tests showed that this proposed system allows to visualize the depth of the objects around the robot and builds a 360 degrees scenario of the explored place.