A Distributed Multi-UGV Exploration Framework With Loop-Aware Planning and Descriptor-Aided Localization in Resource-Limited Environments

Abstract:Robust and efficient cooperative exploration with multiple unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in unknown, GPSdenied, and bandwidth-limited environments without prior maps remains challenging, as localization drift degrades map consistency and induces redundant coverage. This paper presents a fully distributed exploration framework that couples descriptoraided inter-UGV loop closure with loop-aware hierarchical planning while enabling autonomous localization and exploration. We develop a lightweight LiDAR global descriptor with range-image prealignment to enable robust cross-UGV place recognition under large yaw and lateral variations, and use verified loop closures to maintain globally consistent trajectories and a sparse topological representation. We further introduce an uncertainty-aware crossUGV loop-closure selection module that scores candidate loop closures under pose uncertainty and retains high-utility loop closures as planning anchors for global task allocation and local route refinement. Simulations and real-UGV experiments show that the loop-closure module achieves AR@1/AR@1% of 89.9%/95.5%, distributed optimization reduces absolute trajectory error, the system substantially reduces two-way communication volume, and the overall framework reduces exploration time and travel distance by 15% and 14%, respectively, compared with an mTSP baseline.

Robotics (cs.RO)

arXiv:2606.11088 [cs.RO]

(or arXiv:2606.11088v1 [cs.RO] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2606.11088 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2026.3684182 Focus to learn more DOI(s) linking to related resources

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