Advanced research in robotics has allowed robots to navigate diverse environments autonomously. However, conducting complex tasks while handling unpredictable circumstances is still challenging for robots. The robots should plan the task by understanding the working environments beyond metric information and need countermeasures against various situations. In this paper, we propose a semantic navigation framework based on a Triplet Ontological Semantic Model (TOSM) to manage various conditions affecting the execution of tasks. The framework allows robots with different kinematics to perform tasks in indoor and outdoor environments. We define the TOSM-based semantic knowledge and generate a semantic map for the domains. The robots execute tasks according to their characteristics by converting inferred knowledge to Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL). Additionally, to make the framework sustainable, we determine a policy of maintaining the map and re-planning when in unexpected situations. The various experiments on four different kinds of robots and four scenarios validate the scalability and reliability of the proposed framework.

Recent studies on surveillance systems have employed various sensors to recognize and understand outdoor environments. In a complex outdoor environment, useful sensor data obtained under all weather conditions, during the night and day, can be utilized for application to robots in a real environment. Autonomous surveillance systems require a sensor system that can acquire various types of sensor data and can be easily mounted on fixed and mobile agents. In this study, we propose a method for modularizing multiple vision and sound sensors into one system, extracting data synchronized with 3D LiDAR sensors, and matching them to obtain data from various outdoor environments. The proposed multimodal sensor module can acquire six types of images: RGB, thermal, night vision, depth, fast RGB, and IR. Using the proposed module with a 3D LiDAR sensor, multimodal sensor data were obtained from fixed and mobile agents and tested for more than four years. To further prove its usefulness, this module was used as a monitoring system for six months to monitor anomalies occurring at a given site. In the future, we expect that the data obtained from multimodal sensor systems can be used for various applications in outdoor environments.

This paper introduces a UWB-based human-following system for polar-exploration robots, integrating obstacle and crevasse avoidance functions to enhance the safety and efficiency of explorers in extreme environments. The proposed system determines the relative position of the explorer using UWB anchors and tags. It also utilizes real-time local obstacle mapping and path-planning algorithms to find safe paths that avoid collisions with obstacles. Simulation and real-world experiments confirm that the proposed system operates effectively in polar environments, reducing the operational burden on explorers and increasing mission success rates.

Networks are essential components in the surveillance applications of control systems. In unmanned surveillance applications, numerous agents are employed to provide unmanned services. These agents secure large areas and communicate with a control system, checks their status and sends/receives data via multiple networks. These networks need to assign roles based on the application characteristics. In this study, we propose the design of a multiple-network-based control system for large surveillance areas. To this end, an interface for transmitting mission commands to agents needs to be developed because it can allow users to monitor and assign tasks to all agents. The proposed system is developed as a test bed connected to fixed/mobile agents using LoRa, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE communication methods; moreover, its usability was tested in a real environment.