SGE: Semantically-Guided Exploration for Unstructured Environments via Image-Space Waypoint Sampling

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2608.29315v1
• Date: Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:58:22 GMT
• Title: SGE: Semantically-Guided Exploration for Unstructured Environments via Image-Space Waypoint Sampling
• Abstract summary: This work introduces Semantically-Guided Exploration (SGE), a modular exploration framework for ground vehicles.<n>SGE integrates pixel-level semantic segmentation into sampling-based waypoint selection and receding-horizon route optimization.
• Score: 3.1921155114863407
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: This work introduces Semantically-Guided Exploration (SGE), a modular exploration framework for ground vehicles that integrates pixel-level semantic segmentation into sampling-based waypoint selection and receding-horizon route optimization. Unlike conventional geometric exploration methods, SGE evaluates candidate exploration goals directly in the image space using a semantic-aware utility function that accounts for terrain traversability, obstacle proximity, objects of interest, and depth-based exploration reward. Sampled waypoints are projected into 3D and ordered through a real-time Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) formulation, enabling receding-horizon goal selection. To address real-world navigation uncertainty, the framework introduces mechanisms, including temporary taboo regions to handle navigation failures and a graph-based relocation strategy for efficient backtracking across explored areas. We evaluate SGE in standardized simulation benchmarks against state-of-the-art exploration planners and demonstrate competitive performance in volumetric coverage, while enabling semantic task biasing that cannot be achieved by purely geometric methods. The framework is further validated through real-world experiments using multiple robotic platforms in indoor campus buildings and in limestone and coal mines. Results show consistent performance and adaptability across platforms and domains.

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