Extracting Depth By Binocular Stereo In A Robot Vision System

Abstract

New generation of robotic systems will operate in complex, unstructured environments utilizing so-phisticated sensory mechanisms. Vision and range will be two of the most important sensory modalities such a system will utilize to sense their operating environment. Measurement of depth is critical for the success of many robotic tasks such object recognition and location; obstacle avoidance and navigation; and object inspection. In this paper we consider the development of a binocular stereo technique for extracting depth information in a robot vision system for inspection and manipulation tasks. Ability to produce precise depth measurements over a wide range of distances and the passivity of the approach, make binocular stereo techniques attractive and appropriate for range finding in a robotic environment. This paper describes work in progress towards the development of a region-based binocular stereo tech-nique for a robot vision system designed for inspection and manipulation and presents preliminary experiments designed to evaluate performance of the approach. Results of these studies show promise for the region-based stereo matching approach.