MODEL-BASED LOCATION OF AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLES IN THE NAVIGATION SESSIONS BY 3D COMPUTER VISION

A model-based approach to determining the location of an automated gui ded vehicle (AGV) in the navigation session is proposed. Significant s cenes along the navigation path are taken and stored as model images. Also, specific templates of each model image are chosen in advance for matching. When the AGV approaches one significant scene in the naviga tion session, an input image is taken and the corresponding model imag e is fetched. Each template in the model image is matched with the inp ut image through the use of the three-step method. The templates are d irectly used for matching; therefore, no special image processing tech niques are required for the input image in the navigation session. In addition, several templates in a model image are used for matching ins tead of the model image itself. This promotes the robustness of the ma tching results and saves the computation cost. Furthermore, the 2D str ing method is used as a post-verifier to discard erroneous matching re sults. The remaining correct matching results then can be used to dete rmine the vehicle location on the navigation path. Simulated experimen ts are implemented and the results confirm the feasibility of the prop osed approach. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.