An algorithm for robot motion detection by means of a stereoscopic vision system

This paper presents an algorithm for using the stereoscopic vision in environmental recognition and in particular in the motion detection. The algorithm is based on the recognition of certain environmental characteristics, in particular straight-line segments, to be identified in two distinct stereoscopic observations of the working environment. The knowledge of some environmental characteristics of a scene observed from different positions allows estimating the transformation between the observation positions. The study of such algorithm aims to promote the integration of stereoscopic vision in robotics, especially in mobile and autonomous robots, and to promote the use of these methodologies to improve the possibilities of control in the robotic applications. Some results are presented with reference to a stereoscopic vision system applied to a 3 d.o.f. revolute robot. © 2013 Taylor & Francis and The Robotics Society of Japan