Realistic simulation of laser range finder behavior in a smoky environment

The Urban Search and Rescue Simulation used for RoboCup lacks realistic response of laser range finders on smoke. In this paper, the behavior of a Hokuyo and Sick laser range finder in a smoky environment is studied. The behavior of the lasers is among others a function of the visibility level, and in this article this function is quantified into an explicit model. This model is implemented in a simulation environment which is the basis of the Virtual Robot competition of the RoboCup Rescue League. The behavior of both real and virtual laser range finders is compared in a number of validation tests. The validation tests show that the behavior of the laser range finders in the simulation is consistent with the real world.