Environment map generating method and mobile robot

Abstract

To reduce a calculation time required for generating an environment map in a mobile robot. A mobile robot () generates a three-dimensional position data set representing an external environment using measurement information obtained from a range sensor (). Next, based on an old environment map which is the environment map generated in the past and an amount of movement of the mobile robot (), at least three-dimensional position data belonging to an area determined as the obstacle area in the old environment map, and three-dimensional position data belonging to an unobserved area which is not included in the old environment map are selected as plane-detection target data from among three-dimensional position data included in the three-dimensional position data set. Then, plane detection is executed using the plane-detection target data. Then, the movable area and the obstacle area which are included in the plane-detection target data are recognized using the results of the plane detection. Lastly, a new environment map is generated by integrating the movable area and obstacle area, which are recognized using the results of the plane detection, with an area determined as the movable area in the old environment map.