Localization, communication, and navigation for field robotics

Scope

A research that aims to generate a digital twin of the environment in the agricultural domain. The digital twin is generated by a robot that takes advantage of sensor fusion with multiple sources to build a map that has both metric and semantic information.

This research investigates the application of model predictive shielding in field robots locomotion. The robot navigates with a nominal policy, which might fail or be unsafe. A value function model predicts the future behavior and triggers a backup policy to stop the robot before failures.

Expected Outcomes

A robotic systems for digitally mapping outdoor agricoltural areas using LiDARs and cameras
A mapping solution to deal with dynamic environments and wind-induced plant motions in SLAM
A novel mapping solutions using sensory data and entities for efficient planning and navigation
Safe Legged Robotics controller

Publications and Patents

Davide Dorigoni, Placido Falqueto, Daniele Fontanelli, "Entity-Based Representation for Efficient Mapping in Robotics", I-RIM 3D, 2024.
R. Jung, L. Santoro, D. Brunelli, D. Fontanelli, and S. Weiss. Modular Meshed Ultra-Wideband Aided Inertial Navigation with Robust Anchor Calibration. In Proc. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and System (IROS), pages 5627–5634, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 2024. IEEE.
M. Focchi, D. Fontanelli, D. Stocco, R. Bussola, and L. Palopoli. Pseudo-Kinematic Trajectory Control and Planning of Tracked Vehicles. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, page 105282, 2025.
M. Focchi, A. Del Prete, D. Fontanelli, M. Frego, A. Peer, and L. Palopoli. ALPINE: a climbing robot for operations in mountain environments. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 190:104999, 2025.
Patent: Davide Brunelli, Matteo Nardello, Daniele Fontanelli, Luca Santoro; Wireless control system for production of reconfigurable and/or frameless autonomous unmanned vehicles.
L. Santoro, A. Assirelli, E. Mischiatti, M. Perini, M. Nardello, D. Fontanelli, and D. Brunelli. Deconstructing for Superiority: Aristotelian Modularization in UAV Systems. In Proc. of IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE), pages 219–224, Bari, Italy, July 2024. IEEE.

Personnel

Reference person: Marco Camurri
DII members: Prof. Daniele Fontanelli, Prof. Matteo Saveriano, Matteo Nardello (RTD-A), Jessica Villalobos (PostDoc), Paolo Golinelli (PhD Student)
External collaborators: Tommaso Faraci (UniTN - DISI PhD student), Dr. Michele Focchi (UniTN - DISI RTT), Davide Brunelli (PO - UNIBO)

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