Premapping of Dynamic Indoor Construction Sites Using Prior Construction Progress Video to Enhance UGV Path Planning

Abstract

Accurate mapping is crucial for the successful deployment of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in navigation tasks. However, maps derived from as-designed models often lack realism and fail to reflect dynamic changes on construction sites. To address this issue, a premapping method leveraging prior construction progress video is proposed to create up-to-date navigation maps. This method proactively accounts for dynamic changes, particularly those caused by transient objects that are present only during the progress video collection phase and may not exist at the time of UGV deployment. The proposed approach involves detecting, tracking, and segmenting these transient objects, followed by their removal using a flow-guided model. The cleaned frames are used to reconstruct an updated point cloud, which serves as the basis for defining a two-dimensional (2D) navigation map. By considering these changes during the premapping process, the method ensures that the resulting map is consistent with the actual site conditions. Validation in an indoor construction setting demonstrated the necessity of the proposed method and highlighted the impacts of transient objects on path planning outcomes. This method is beneficial for routine monitoring scenarios, for which it can update and transform prior video into a navigation map, enabling efficient advanced planning. The practical application of this study primarily lies in enhancing the deployment efficiency of unmanned ground vehicles for routine monitoring of construction sites. The proposed premapping method, which leverages prior construction progress video, offers two key practical benefits. Firstly, as an offsite premapping approach, it enables the creation of maps without interfering with ongoing construction activities, minimizing on-site operations. This enhances UGV acceptance on site and maintains regular site workflows. Secondly, by proactively considering the dynamic changes caused by transient objects, the method ensures that the created map is up-to-date and provides a more comprehensive basis for efficient initial planning. This premapping approach is particularly beneficial for routine monitoring scenarios, because it reduces operational efforts by providing effective and up-to-date maps derived from construction progress video. By doing so, it enhances both the efficiency of UGV deployment and the effectiveness of advanced planning in dynamic construction environments.