3D visualization for improved manipulation and mobility in EOD and combat engineering applications

This paper presents a scalable modeling technique that displays 3D data from a priori and real-time sensors developed by Autonomous Solutions under contract with NAVEODTECHDIV and TARDEC. A novel algorithm provides structure and texture to 3D point clouds while an octree repository management technique scales level of detail for seamless zooming from kilometer to centimeter scales. This immersive 3D environment enables direct measurement of absolute size, automated manipulator placement, and indication of unique world coordinates for navigation. Since a priori data is updated by new information collected with stereovision and lidar sensors, high accuracy pose is not a requirement.