• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.745-751
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• 2008

This paper presents a framework for GPS/INS/Vision based navigation system of helicopters. GPS/INS coupled algorithm has weak points such as GPS blockage and jamming, while the helicopter is a speedy and high dynamical vehicle amenable to lose the GPS signal. In case of the vision sensor, it is not affected by signal jamming and also navigation error is not accumulated. So, we have implemented an GPS/INS/Vision aided navigation system providing the robust localization suitable for helicopters operating in various environments. The core algorithm is the vision based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technique. For the verification of the SLAM algorithm, we performed flight tests. From the tests, we confirm the developed system is robust enough under the GPS blockage. The system design, software algorithm, and flight test results are described.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2023

As cameras have become primary sensors for mobile robots, vision based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) has achieved impressive results with the recent development of computer vision and deep learning. However, vision information has a disadvantage in that a lot of information disappears in a low-light environment. To overcome the problem, we propose an image enhancement method to perform visual SLAM in a low-light environment. Using the deep generative adversarial models and modified gamma correction, the quality of low-light images were improved. The proposed method is less sharp than the existing method, but it can be applied to ORB-SLAM in real time by dramatically reducing the amount of computation. The experimental results were able to prove the validity of the proposed method by applying to public Dataset TUM and VIVID++.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.149-156
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• 2008

SLAM(Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) system is to find a global position and build a map with sensing data when an unmanned-robot navigates an unknown environment. Two kinds of system were developed. One is used distance measurement sensors such as an ultra sonic and a laser sensor. The other is used stereo vision system. The distance measurement SLAM with sensors has low computing time and low cost, but precision of system can be somewhat worse by measurement error or non-linearity of the sensor In contrast, stereo vision system can accurately measure the 3D space area, but it needs high-end system for complex calculation and it is an expensive tool. In this paper, we implement the SLAM system using a single camera image and a PSD sensors. It detects obstacles from the front PSD sensor and then perceive size and feature of the obstacles by image processing. The probability SLAM was implemented using the data of sensor and image and we verify the performance of the system by real experiment.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.210-216
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• 2016

This paper presents a novel collision avoidance technique for mobile robots based on omni-directional vision simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). This method estimates the avoidance path and speed of a robot from the location of an obstacle, which can be detected using the Lucas-Kanade Optical Flow in images obtained through fish-eye cameras mounted on the robots. The conventional methods suggest avoidance paths by constructing an arbitrary force field around the obstacle found in the complete map obtained through the SLAM. Robots can also avoid obstacles by using the speed command based on the robot modeling and curved movement path of the robot. The recent research has been improved by optimizing the algorithm for the actual robot. However, research related to a robot using omni-directional vision SLAM to acquire around information at once has been comparatively less studied. The robot with the proposed algorithm avoids obstacles according to the estimated avoidance path based on the map obtained through an omni-directional vision SLAM using a fisheye image, and returns to the original path. In particular, it avoids the obstacles with various speed and direction using acceleration components based on motion information obtained by analyzing around the obstacles. The experimental results confirm the reliability of an avoidance algorithm through comparison between position obtained by the proposed algorithm and the real position collected while avoiding the obstacles.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.634-640
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• 2015

This paper proposes a novel three-dimensional mapping algorithm in Omni-Directional Vision SLAM based on a fisheye image and laser scanner data. The performance of SLAM has been improved by various estimation methods, sensors with multiple functions, or sensor fusion. Conventional 3D SLAM approaches which mainly employed RGB-D cameras to obtain depth information are not suitable for mobile robot applications because RGB-D camera system with multiple cameras have a greater size and slow processing time for the calculation of the depth information for omni-directional images. In this paper, we used a fisheye camera installed facing downwards and a two-dimensional laser scanner separate from the camera at a constant distance. We calculated fusion points from the plane coordinates of obstacles obtained by the information of the two-dimensional laser scanner and the outline of obstacles obtained by the omni-directional image sensor that can acquire surround view at the same time. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed through comparison between maps obtained using the proposed algorithm and real maps.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.197-205
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• 2014

As computer vision algorithms are developed on a continuous basis, the visual information from vision sensors has been widely used in the context of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), called visual SLAM, which utilizes relative motion information between images. This research addresses a visual SLAM framework for online localization and mapping in an unstructured seabed environment that can be applied to a low-cost unmanned underwater vehicle equipped with a single monocular camera as a major measurement sensor. Typically, an image motion model with a predefined dimensionality can be corrupted by errors due to the violation of the model assumptions, which may lead to performance degradation of the visual SLAM estimation. To deal with the erroneous image motion model, this study employs a local bundle optimization (LBO) scheme when a closed loop is detected. The results of comparison between visual SLAM estimation with LBO and the other case are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1098-1102
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• 2014

Localization of aerial vehicles and map building of flight environments are key technologies for the autonomous flight of small UAVs. In outdoor environments, an unmanned aircraft can easily use a GPS (Global Positioning System) for its localization with acceptable accuracy. However, as the GPS is not available for use in indoor environments, the development of a SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) system that is suitable for small UAVs is therefore needed. In this paper, we suggest a vision-based SLAM system that uses vision sensors and an AHRS (Attitude Heading Reference System) sensor. Feature points in images captured from the vision sensor are obtained by using GPU (Graphics Process Unit) based SIFT (Scale-invariant Feature Transform) algorithm. Those feature points are then combined with attitude information obtained from the AHRS to estimate the position of the small UAV. Based on the location information and color distribution, a Gaussian process model is generated, which could be a map. The experimental results show that the position of a small unmanned aircraft is estimated properly and the map of the environment is constructed by using the proposed method. Finally, the reliability of the proposed method is verified by comparing the difference between the estimated values and the actual values.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.164-170
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• 2011

This paper proposes a novel monocular vision-based SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) method using both position and orientation information of ceiling lamps. Conventional approaches used corner or line features as landmarks in their SLAM algorithms, but these methods were often unable to achieve stable navigation due to a lack of reliable visual features on the ceiling. Since lamp features are usually placed some distances from each other in indoor environments, they can be robustly detected and used as reliable landmarks. We used both the position and orientation of a lamp feature to accurately estimate the robot pose. Its orientation is obtained by calculating the principal axis from the pixel distribution of the lamp area. Both corner and lamp features are used as landmarks in the EKF (Extended Kalman Filter) to increase the stability of the SLAM process. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme works successfully in various indoor environments.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2006

Improving practicality of SLAM requires various sensors to be fused effectively in order to cope with uncertainty induced from both environment and sensors. In this case, combining sonar and vision sensors possesses numerous advantages of economical efficiency and complementary cooperation. Especially, it can remedy false data association and divergence problem of sonar sensors, and overcome low frequency SLAM update caused by computational burden and weakness in illumination changes of vision sensors. In this paper, we propose a SLAM method to join sonar sensors and stereo camera together. It consists of two schemes, extracting robust point and line features from sonar data and recognizing planar visual objects using multi-scale Harris corner detector and its SIFT descriptor from pre-constructed object database. And fusing sonar features and visual objects through EKF-SLAM can give correct data association via object recognition and high frequency update via sonar features. As a result, it can increase robustness and accuracy of SLAM in indoor environment. The performance of the proposed algorithm was verified by experiments in home -like environment.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.132-139
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• 2015

Visual SLAM(Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) has been used widely to estimate a mobile robot's location. Visual SLAM estimates relative motions with static visual features over image sequence. Because visual SLAM methods assume generally static features in the environment, we cannot obtain precise results in dynamic situation including many moving objects: cars and human beings. This paper presents a stereo vision based SLAM method in dynamic environment. First, we extract disparity map with stereo vision and compute optical flow. We then compute disparity change that is the estimated flow field between stereo views. After examining the disparity change value, we detect ROIs(Region Of Interest) in disparity space to determine dynamic scene objects. In indoor environment, many structural planes like walls may be determined as false dynamic elements. To solve this problem, we segment the scene into planar structure. More specifically, disparity values by the stereo vision are projected to X-Z plane and we employ Hough transform to determine planes. In final step, we remove ROIs nearby the walls and discriminate static scene elements in indoor environment. The experimental results show that the proposed method can obtain stable performance in dynamic environment.