We present a new Active Learning approach for classifying objects from streams of 3D point cloud data. The major problems here are the non-uniform occurrence of class instances and the unbalanced numbers of samples per class. We show that standard online learning methods based on decision trees perform comparably bad for such data streams, which are however particularly relevant for mobile robots that need to learn semantics persistently. To address this, we use Mondrian forests (MF), a recent online learning algorithm that is independent on the data order. We present an extension of that algorithm and show that MF are less overconfident than standard Random Forests. In experiments on the KITTI benchmark, we show that this leads to a substantially improved classification performance for data streams, rendering our approach very attractive for lifelong robot learning applications.

We present a next-best-scan (NBS) planning approach for autonomous 3D modeling. The system successively completes a 3D model from complex shaped objects by iteratively selecting a NBS based on previously acquired data. For this purpose, new range data is accumulated in-the-loop into a 3D surface (streaming reconstruction) and new continuous scan paths along the estimated surface trend are generated. Further, the space around the object is explored using a probabilistic exploration approach that considers sensor uncertainty. This allows for collision free path planning in order to completely scan unknown objects. For each scan path, the expected information gain is determined and the best path is selected as NBS. The presented NBS approach is tested with a laser striper system, attached to an industrial robot. The results are compared to state-of-the-art next-best-view methods. Our results show promising performance with respect to completeness, quality and scan time.