[ros-users] Clear cells in costmap with max laser range

[Brian Gerkey]

On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 10:50 AM, Roderick de Nijs
<rsdenijs at lsr.ei.tum.de> wrote:
> Costmap2D seems not to "clear" the space around the robot if the laser scan
> range is max. This means, if you put the robot on an open field (no
> obstacles) it will leave all the space around it as unknown.
> Essentially, if Costmap sees that the scan_range=max_scan_range... it is as
> if it ignores it.
>
> Is there a way to configure the costmap so it wont do this? With the
> GMapping module it does it...

hi Roderick,

There probably is a way to configure costmap_2d to behave like you
want (Eitan would know).

But you should know that there's a safety implication, if you use the
costmap for navigation.  While a max range reading usually means that
there's no obstacle within the range of the beam, it can also mean
that the beam hit an obstacle that gives no reflection back to the
laser.  Dark shiny objects are a common problem.  We have a black
leather couch that's pretty much invisible to Hokuyo lasers.

	brian.