Rapid Exploration

Rapid exploration research focuses on developing efficient algorithms and strategies for autonomous agents to quickly and effectively map and navigate unknown environments. Current efforts concentrate on improving exploration speed and efficiency through techniques like semantic mapping, topological exploration using graph-based methods and sampling-based planning (e.g., RRT), and incorporating prior knowledge or unlabeled data to guide exploration. These advancements have significant implications for robotics, particularly in applications such as search and rescue, subterranean exploration, and autonomous navigation in unstructured environments, by enabling faster and more reliable mapping and task completion.