Utilizing mmWave Radars for Autonomous Navigation of UGVs in Degraded Visual Environments

Autonomous machines minimize human risk in defense and rescue. Although most Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) use LiDAR or stereo cameras, these are easily compromised in fog, smoke, or rain. Therefore, this research explores millimeter wave (mmWave) radar due to its resilience to such occlusions, specifically on the J ackal U GV. C ontrolling b oth Jackal and mmWave radar through Robot Operating System (ROS) and rospy softwares allows for real-time mapping and navigation from the high-accuracy point clouds and range-azimuth data provided by the mmWave radar. Through our research, UGVs can function in additional environments compared to other sensing methods.