Generation of Environmental Map and Estimation of Free Space for A Mobile Robot Using Omnidirectional Image Sensor COPIS.

摘要

We have proposed a new ominidirectional image sensor COPIS (COnic Projection Image Sensor) using a conic mirror for guiding navigation of a mobile robot. The azimuth of each point in the scene appears in the image as its direction from the image center.In this paper we describe a method of estimating object's location and free space and building the environmental map for the mobile robot. Under the assumption of known free motion of the robot, locations of object's edge points around the robot can be estimated by detecting their azimuth changes in the image. After estimating the location of edge points, we detect the object surface. Both sides of edges of the object surface are contiguous in the image, and have an invariant relation with the robot motion. Against them, in case of the corridor, another edges appear between contiguous edges by moving the robot. Thus, using these relations, we can detect object surfaces, and estimate the free space rrgion are updated while the robot moving in the environment. Using this method, the robot generates an environmental map of an indoor scene while it is moving in the environment. We performed several experiments in the real indoor environment.