Predictive Mapping of Spectral Signatures from RGB Imagery for Off-Road Terrain Analysis

Accurate identification of complex terrain characteristics, such as soil composition and coefficient of friction, is essential for model-based planning and control of mobile robots in off-road environments. Spectral signatures leverage distinct patterns of light absorption and reflection to identify various materials, enabling precise characterization of their inherent properties. Recent research in robotics has explored the adoption of spectroscopy to enhance perception and interaction with environments. However, the significant cost and elaborate setup required for mounting these sensors present formidable barriers to widespread adoption. In this study, we introduce RS-Net (RGB to Spectral Network), a deep neural network architecture designed to map RGB images to corresponding spectral signatures. We illustrate how RS-Net can be synergistically combined with Co-Learning techniques for terrain property estimation. Initial results demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in characterizing spectral signatures across an extensive off-road real-world dataset. These findings highlight the feasibility of terrain property estimation using only RGB cameras.