Detección e Identificación de Objetos Moviles en Sistemas Multi-Robot con Información 3D

La detección y el seguimiento de objetos dinámicos es un aspecto crítico en los robots diseñados para realizar labores de vigilancia y seguridad. La utilización de sensores láser 3D permite la detección de objetos de cualquier forma y tamaño. En este contexto se han desarrollado dos métodos de detección de objetos, uno para las situaciones en las que el robot permanece inmóvil y otro para robots en movimiento. Asimismo se han desarrollado dos algoritmos que permiten identificar estos objetos y compartir la información entre diferentes robots para su integración en un sistema multi-robot. Los algoritmos han sido validados en un demostrador virtual desarrollado dentro del proyecto europeo NM-RS

Neurally inspired mechanisms of the dynamic visual attention map generation task

A model for dynamic visual attention is briefly introduced in this paper. A PSM (problem-solving method) for a generic ?Dynamic Attention Map Generation? task to obtain a Dynamic Attention Map from a dynamic scene is proposed. Our approach enables tracking objects that keep attention in accordance with a set of characteristics defined by the observer. This paper mainly focuses on those subtasks of the model inspired in neuronal mechanisms, such as accumulative computation and lateral interaction. The subtasks which incorporate these biologically plausible capacities are called ?Working Memory Generation? and ?Thresholded Permanency Calculation?

Motion-based stereovision model with potential utility in robot navigation.

Autonomous robot guidance in dynamic environments requires, on the one hand, the study of relative motion of the objects of the environment with respect to the robot, and on the other hand, the analysis of the depth towards those objects. In this paper, a stereo vision method, which combines both topics with potential utility in robot navigation, is proposed. The goal of the stereo vision model is to calculate depth of surrounding objects by measuring the disparity between the two-dimensional imaged positions of the object points in a stereo pair of images. The simulated robot guidance algorithm proposed starts from the motion analysis that occurs in the scene and then establishes correspondences and analyzes the depth of the objects. Once these steps have been performed, the next step is to induce the robot to take the direction where objects are more distant in order to avoid obstacles

Accumulative computation method for motion features extraction in active selective visual attention

A new method for active visual attention is briefly introduced in this paper. The method extracts motion and shape features from indefinite image sequences, and integrates these features to segment the input scene. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of the accumulative computation method for motion features extraction in the active selective visual attention model proposed. We calculate motion presence and velocity at each pixel of the input image by means of accumulative computation. The paper shows an example of how to use motion features to enhance scene segmentation in this active visual attention method

The underlying formal model of algorithmic lateral inhibition

Many researchers have explored the relationship between recurrent neural networks and finite state machines. Finite state machines constitute the best characterized computational model, whereas artificial neural networks have become a very successful tool for modeling and problem solving. Recently, the neurally-inspired algorithmic lateral inhibition (ALI) method and its application to the motion detection task have been introduced. The article shows how to implement the tasks directly related to ALI in motion detection by means of a formal model described as finite state machines. Automata modeling is the first step towards real-time implementation by FPGAs and programming of ?intelligent? camera processors

A historical perspective of algorithmic lateral inhibition and accumulative computation in computer vision

Certainly, one of the prominent ideas of Professor José Mira was that it is absolutely mandatory to specify the mechanisms and/or processes underlying each task and inference mentioned in an architecture in order to make operational that architecture. The conjecture of the last fifteen years of joint research has been that any bottom-up organization may be made operational using two biologically inspired methods called ?algorithmic lateral inhibition?, a generalization of lateral inhibition anatomical circuits, and ?accumulative computation?, a working memory related to the temporal evolution of the membrane potential. This paper is dedicated to the computational formulation of both methods. Finally, all of the works of our group related to this methodological approximation are mentioned and summarized, showing that all of them support the validity of this approximation

Lateral Inhibition in Accumulative Computation and Fuzzy Sets for Human Fall Pattern Recognition in Colour and Infrared Imagery

Fall detection is an emergent problem in pattern recognition. In this paper, a novel approach which enables to identify a type of a fall and reconstruct its characteristics is presented. The features detected include the position previous to a fall, the direction and velocity of a fall, and the postfall inactivity. Video sequences containing a possible fall are analysed image by image using the lateral inhibition in accumulative computation method. With this aim, the region of interest of human figures is examined in each image, and geometrical and kinematic characteristics for the sequence are calculated. The approach is valid in colour and in infrared video

Stereovision depth analysis by two-dimensional motion charge memories

Several strategies to retrieve depth information from a sequence of images have been described so far. In this paper a method that turns around the existing symbiosis between stereovision and motion is introduced; motion minimizes correspondence ambiguities, and stereovision enhances motion information. The central idea behind our approach is to transpose the spatially defined problem of disparity estimation into the spatial?temporal domain. Motion is analyzed in the original sequences by means of the so-called permanency effect and the disparities are calculated from the resulting two-dimensional motion charge maps. This is an important contribution to the traditional stereovision depth analysis, where disparity is got from the image luminescence. In our approach, disparity is studied from a motion-based persistency charge measure

Real-time motion detection by lateral inhibition in accumulative computation.

Many researchers have explored the relationship between recurrent neural networks and finite state machines. Finite state machines constitute the best characterized computational model, whereas artificial neural networks have become a very successful tool for modeling and problem solving. In the few last years, the neurally inspired lateral inhibition in accumulative computation (LIAC) method and its application to the motion detection task have been introduced. The article shows how to implement the tasks directly related to LIAC in motion detection by means of a formal model described as finite state machines. This paper introduces two steps towards that direction: (a) A simplification of the general LIAC method is performed by formally transforming it into a finite state machine. (b) A hardware implementation of such a designed LIAC module, as well as an 8×8 LIAC module, has been tested on several video sequences, providing promising performance results

Knowledge modelling for the motion detection task

In this article knowledge modelling at the knowledge level for the task of moving objects detection in image sequences is introduced. Three items have been the focus of the approach: (1) the convenience of knowledge modelling of tasks and methods in terms of a library of reusable components and in advance to the phase of operationalization of the primitive inferences; (2) the potential utility of looking for inspiration in biology; (3) the convenience of using these biologically inspired problem-solving methods (PSMs) to solve motion detection tasks. After studying a summary of the methods used to solve the motion detection task, the moving targets in indefinite sequences of images detection task is approached by means of the algorithmic lateral inhibition (ALI) PSM. The task is decomposed in four subtasks: (a) thresholded segmentation; (b) motion detection; (c) silhouettes parts obtaining; and (d) moving objects silhouettes fusion. For each one of these subtasks, first, the inferential scheme is obtained and then each one of the inferences is operationalized. Finally, some experimental results are presented along with comments on the potential value of our approach