UTIAS ASRL

Autonomous Space Robotics Lab

Braden Stenning

Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. Aerospace Science and Engineering (University of Toronto, 2012)
B.Eng. with High Distinction, Aerospace (Carleton University, 2007)


Contact Information

Institute for Aerospace Studies
University of Toronto
4925 Dufferin Street, Room 118
Toronto, ON M3H 5T6 Canada
braden.stenning [at] robotics.utias.utoronto.ca
+1 416-667-7730 (office)
+1 416-667-7799 (fax)
Google Scholar citations


Research

I am currently developing algorithms and rugged hardware that will allow a mobile robot to provide field researchers (primarily geologists) with safe, reliable, and useful access to cliffs, crater walls, and other steep terrain. The initial prototype is nearly built, so check back soon for photos and videos.

My graduate research was focused on developing better path planning and navigation algorithms for mobile robots, particularly for rovers operating on the Moon or Mars.

A Network of Reusable Paths

A Network of Reusable Paths (NRP) allows a robot to return to any place that it has previously visited. When used for autonomous goal seeking, it leads to robust and accurate goal acquisition. In general, there are three major benefits that come from reusing paths:

  1. Traversability: Since the path has been driven, it is likely that it can be driven again.
  2. Localizability: Since the robot is returning to a previous pose, it is very likely that the the scene will appear similar and the robot will be able to localize against the map.
  3. Rolling-back localization error: Since the localization error is rolled back when reversing along the path, dead ends do not have any influence on the accumulated localization error at the goal.

The videos below show some of the robots that have used NRP for seeking goals in unknown terrain. These systems are actually physical embodiments of the popular Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) planning algorithm. The first video shows the robot operating during a field test in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in June 2011. The other two are videos of earlier development systems.

We have also used NRP in the context of planetary exploration. NRP allows for parallel science investigations, and this leads to more productive use of a rover as compared to the classic serial approach to exploration. Check out a video from an analogue mission we carried out in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in June 2011.


Publications

Journal Articles

[1] B. Stenning, C. McManus, and T. D. Barfoot. "Planning using a Network of Reusable Paths: A Physical Embodiment of an RRT". Journal of Field Robotics, special issue on "Space Robotics", 2013. Manuscript #ROB-12-0102, conditionally accepted on March 1, 2013.

[2] B. Stenning and T. D. Barfoot, "Path Planning with Variable-Fidelity Terrain Assessment". Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 60(9):11351148, 2012. doi:10.1016/j.robot.2012.05.020.

[3] C. McManus, P. T. Furgale, B. Stenning, and T. D. Barfoot. "Lighting-Invariant Visual Teach and Repeat Using Appearance-Based Lidar". Journal of Field Robotics, 30(2):254287, 2013. doi:10.1002/rob.21444.

[4] J. Moores, R. Francis, M. Mader, G. R. Osinski, T. D. Barfoot, N. Barry, G. Basic, M. Battler, M. Beauchamp, S. Blain, M. Bondy, R. D. Capitan, A. Chanou, J. Clayton, E. Cloutis, M. Daly, C. Dickinson, H. Dong, R. Flemming, P. T. Furgale, J. Gammell, N. Gharfoor, M. Hussein, R. Grieve, H. Henrys, P. Jaziobedski, A. Lambert, K. Leung, C. Marion, E. McCullough, C. McManus, C. D. Neish, H. H. Ng, A. Ozaruk, A. Pickersgill, L. J. Preston, D. Redman, H. Sapers, B. Shankar, A. Singleton, K. Souders, B. Stenning, P. Stooke, P. Sylvester, and L. Tornabene. "A Mission Control Architecture for Lunar Sample Return as Field Tested in an Analogue Deployment to the Sudbury Impact Structure". Advances in Space Research, special issue on "Lunar Exploration", 50(12):16661686, 2012. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2012.05.008.

[5] T. D. Barfoot, P. Furgale, B. Stenning, P. Carle, L. Thomson, G. Osinski, M. Daly and N. Ghafoor, "Field Testing of a Rover Guidance, Navigation, & Control Architecture to Support a Ground-Ice Prospecting Mission to Mars" Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 59(6):472488, 2011. doi:10.1016/j.robot.2011.03.004.

Conference Papers

Full-Paper-Refereed

[6] B. Stenning and T. D. Barfoot, "Path Planning on a Network of Paths" In Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference. #1213. Big Sky, MT, 5-12 March 2011. doi:10.1109/AERO.2011.5747270.

[7] B. Stenning and T. D. Barfoot, "Path Planning with Variable-Fidelity Terrain Assessment" In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pages 300--306. Taipei, Taiwan, 18-22 October 2010. doi:10.1109/IROS.2010.5652621.

[8] T. .D. Barfoot, B. Stenning, P. T. Furgale, and C. McManus. "Exploiting Reusable Paths in Mobile Robotics: Benefits and Challenges for Long-term Autonomy". In Proceedings of the 9th Conference on Computer and Robot Vision (CRV), pages 388--395. Toronto, Canada, 28-30 May 2012. doi:10.1109/CRV.2012.58.

[9] C. McManus, P. T.Furgale, B. Stenning, and T. D. Barfoot. "Visual Teach and Repeat Using Appearance-Based Lidar". In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages 389-396. St. Paul, USA, 14-18 May 2012. doi:10.1109/ICRA.2012.6224654.

[10] T. D. Barfoot, P. T. Furgale, B. Stenning, P. J. F. Carle, J. P. Enright, and P. Lee. "Devon Island as a Proving Ground for Planetary Rovers". In J. Angeles, B. Boulet, J. Clark, J. Kovecses, and K. Siddiqi, editors, Brain, Body, and Machine: Proceedings of an International Symposium on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the McGill University Centre for Intelligent Machines, Advances in Intelligent and Soft Computing, pages 269--281. Springer, Montreal, Quebec, 10-12 November 2010. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16259-6 21.

Conference Papers

Abstract-Refereed

[11] B. Stenning, G. R. Osinski, and T. D. Barfoot. "Planetary Surface Exploration using a Network of Reusable Paths: A Paradigm for Parallel Science Investigations". In Proceedings of the Canadian Space Summit. London, Ontario, Canada, 14-16 November 2012.

[12] B. Stenning, G. R. Osinski, T. D. Barfoot, G. Basic, M. Beauchamp, M. Daly, H. Dong, R. Francis, P. T. Furgale, J. Gammell, N. Ghafoor, A. Lambert, K. Leung, M. Mader, C. Marion, E. McCullough, C. McManus, J. Moores, and L. Preston. "Planetary Surface Exploration Using a Network of Reusable Paths". In Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space (iSAIRAS). Turin, Italy, 4-6 September 2012.

[13] B. Stenning, G. R. Osinski, T. D. Barfoot, G. Basic, M. Beauchamp, M. Daly, H. Dong, R. Francis, P. T. Furgale, J. Gammell, N. Ghafoor, A. Lambert, K. Leung, M. Mader, C. Marion, E. McCullough, C. McManus, J. Moores, and L. Preston. "Planetary Surface Exploration Using a Network of Reusable Paths". In Proceedings of the 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), 2360. Texas, USA, 19-23 March 2012.

[14] J. Collier, M. Trentini, J. Giesbrecht, C. McManus, P. T. Furgale, B. Stenning, T. D. Barfoot, S. Se, V. Kotamraju, P. Jasiobedzki, L. Shang, B. Chan, A. Harmat, and I. Sharf. "Autonomous Navigation and Mapping in GPS-Denied Environments at Defence R&D Canada". In Proceedings of NATO Symposium SET 168: Navigation Sensor and Systems in GNSS Denied Environments. Izmir, Turkey, 8-9 October 2012.

[15] C. L. Marion, G. R. Osinski, S. Abou-Aly, I. Antonenko, T. D. Barfoot, N. Barry, A. Bassi, M. Battler, M. Beauchamp, M. Bondy, S. Blain, R. Capitan, E. Cloutis, L. Cupelli, A. Chanou, J. Clayton, M. Daly, H. Dong, L. Ferriere, R. Flemming, L. Flynn, R. Francis, P. T. Furgale, J. Gammell, A. Garbino, N. Ghafoor, R. A. F. Grieve, K. Hodges, M. Hussein, P. Jasiobedzki, B. L. Jolliff, M. C. Kerrigan, A. Lambert, K. Leung, M. M. Mader, E. McCullough, C. McManus, J. Moores, H. K. Ng, C. Otto, A. Ozaruk, A. E. Pickersgill, A. Pontefract, L. J. Preston, D. Redman, H. Sapers, B. Shankar, C. Shaver, A. Singleton, K. Souders, B. Stenning, P. Stooke, P. Sylvester, J. Tripp, L. L. Tornabene, T. Unrau, D. Veillette, K. Young, and M. Zanetti. "A Series of Robotic and Human Analogue Missions in Support of Lunar Sample Return". In Proceedings of the 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), 2333. Texas, USA, 19-23 March 2012.

[16] A. E. Pickersgill, G. R. Osinski, M. Beauchamp, C. Marion, M. M. Mader, R. Francis, E. McCullough, B. Shanker, T. D. Barfoot, M. Bondy, A. Chanou, M. Daly, H. Dong, P. T. Furgale, J. Gammell, N. Ghafoor, M. Hussein, P. Jasiobedski, A. Lambert, K. Leung, C. McManus, H. K. Ng, A. Pontefract, B. Stenning, L. L. Tornabene, J. Tripp, and Team ISLR. "Scientific Instrumentation for a Lunar Sample Return Analogue Mission". In Proceedings of the 43rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), 2657. Texas, USA, 19-23 March 2012.

[17] J. Moores, R. Francis, T. Barfoot, N. "Barry, G. Basic, M. Battler, M. Beauchamp, S. Blain, M. Bondy, R. D. Capitan, A. Chanou, J. Clayton, E. Cloutis, M. Daly, C. Dickinson, D. Dong, R. Flemming, P. Furgale, J. Gammel, N. Ghafoor, M. Hussein, R. Grieve, H. Henrys, P. Jaziobedski, A. Lambert, K. Leung, M. Mader, C. Marion, E. McCullough, C. McManus, C. Neish, H. Ng, A. Ozaruk, A. Pickersgill, L. Preston, D. Redman, H. Sapers, B. Shankar, A. Singleton, K. Souders, B. Stenning, P. Stooke, P. Sylvester, L. Tornabene, and G. R. Osinski, "Mission Operations Design for Lunar Sample Return as Field-Tested in an Analogue Deployment to the Sudbury Impact Structure", In Proceedings of the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC-DPS), volume 6, page 1728. Nantes, France, 2-7 October 2011.

[18] T. D. Barfoot, P. Furgale, B. Stenning, P. Carle, L. Thomson, G. Osinski, and M. Daly, "Field Testing of Rover GN&C Techniques to Support a Ground-Ice Prospecting Mission to Mars" In Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space (iSAIRAS), Sapporo, Japan, 29 August -- 1 September 2010.

[19] T. D. Barfoot, P. Furgale, B. Stenning, and P. Carle, "Field Testing of Rover GN&C Techniques to Support a Ground-Ice Prospecting Mission to Mars" In Proceedings of the Planetary Rovers Workshop, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automa- tion (ICRA) Anchorage, Alaska, May 2010.

Theses

[20] B. Stenning. "Path/Action Planning for a Mobile Robot". Ph.D. Thesis, University of Toronto, 2013.

Technical Reports

[21] B. Stenning. "Satellite Design Project 2007: Attitude Control" ST-ADC-ROT-0042. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, April 2007.


Last Updated: April 20, 2013.