Position-measuring method using omnidirectional image sensor with conic mirror

Intensive work has already been done on vision-based navigation of autonomous mobile robots. This paper proposes a new omnidirectional image sensor COPIS (COnic Projection Image Sensor) for guiding navigation of a mobile robot. In addition, a conic projection image sensor (COPIS) is described along with its application to estimate locations of static objects relative to the robot. The COPIS system acquires an omnidirectional view around the robot in real-time by using a conic mirror. Its feature is passive sensing of the omnidirectional environment in real-time using a conic mirror. Because the conic mirror is used, its image is under conic projection. Here, the azimuth of each point in the scene appears in the image as its direction from the image center. Under the assumption of constant motion of the robot, locations of objects around the robot can be estimated by detecting their azimuth changes in the omnidirectional image. Using this method, the robot generates an environmental map of an indoor scene while it is moving in the environment.