Abstract

We present a novel software tool intended for mobile robot mapping in long-term scenarios. The method allows for efficient volumetric representation of dynamic three-dimensional environments over long periods of time. It is based on a combination of a well-established 3D mapping framework called Octomaps and an idea to model environment dynamics by its frequency spectrum. The proposed method allows not only for efficient representation, but also reliable prediction of the future states of dynamic three-dimensional environments. Our spatio-temporal mapping framework is available as an open-source C++ library and a ROS module which allows its easy integration in robotics projects.