Estimation of Gas Source Location from Fluctuating Readings of Gas Sensors and Anemometer on Mobile Robot in Outdoor Environment

Here we report on a new method for robotic gas source localization. In the method proposed in this series of work, a mobile robot equipped with gas sensors and an anemometer is used to measure the gas concentration and airflow direction at various locations in the area under consideration. The location of the gas source is estimated by applying a turbulent diffusion model of a gas plume to the sensor data collected by the mobile robot. In the previous version of the method, the value of the turbulent diffusion coefficient in the model needs to be properly adjusted to obtain appropriate estimation results. Therefore, the model is replaced with the one that requires no empirical parameter. The estimation results are presented to show that the proposed method can provide a map showing the area in which a gas source is likely to be found.