Autonomous Mobile Robot for Outdoor Slope Using 2D LiDAR with Uniaxial Gimbal Mechanism

The Nakanoshima Challenge is a contest for developing sophisticated navigation systems of robots for collecting garbage in outdoor public spaces. In this study, a robot named Navit(oo)n is designed, and its performance in public spaces such as city parks is evaluated. Navit(oo)n contains two 2D LiDAR scanners with uniaxial gimbal mechanism, improving self-localization robustness on a slope. The gimbal mechanism adjusts the angle of the LiDAR scanner, preventing erroneous ground detection. We evaluate the navigation performance of Navit(oo)n in the Nakanoshima and its Extra Challenges.

The Analysis for Source Aerosol Optical Properties and Long Range Transportation of Dust Storm in Winter

By the combination of ground detection and satellite, the source and development process of strong dust storm in the northwest provinces, including Xinjiang, Gansu, Neimenggu, Ningxia, etc., occurred in November 17 to 18, 2016, is discussed by using the optical properties of aerosols. The ground detection equipments were used to measure the extinction coefficient and optical depth of dust aerosol near the source. The evolution path, formation process and cause of dissipation of dust storm were analyzed by satellite data. The reason why dust storm is not easy to spread to the eastern part of China is preliminarily given.

The 2019 Taurid resonant swarm: prospects for ground detection of small NEOs

In June 2019 the Earth will approach within 5° mean anomaly of the centre of the Taurid resonant swarm, its closest post-perihelion encounter with Earth since 1975. This will be the best viewing geometry to detect and place limits on the number of NEOs proposed to reside at the swarm centre until the early 2030s. We present an analysis of the optimal times and pointing locations to image NEOs associated with the swarm.