Passive Sky Angle Mapping for Unmanned Ground Vehicles

We utilize a hemispherical camera to develop a passive mapping algorithm that exploits visibility to the sky. We use this visibility to derive a measure of occupancy to build a wide area volumetric map. Because this method visually exploits the energy of the sky, its effective range can be much higher than an active energy sensor. Since it is passive (it does not emit energy) it is ideal for missions that require stealth. We present initial results from simulation and testing of this new concept.