A novel approach for self-localization based on computer vision and artificial marker deposition

A new velocity and position sensor concept for manned and unmanned ground vehicles is proposed. The idea of this system is to temporarily place artificial markers in the environment such as the surface the vehicle is maneuvering over [23-25]. Once the markers are placed in the environment, they have zero speed, i.e. they represent the speed of the environment over which the vehicle is traversing. The speed of these markers with respect to the moving vehicle is then measured using a two dimensional (possibly three dimensional) sensor affixed to the vehicle. The markers are preferably of temporary nature and to disappear as soon as the vehicle sensor has traversed over and the signal acquisition process has been completed. The proposed sensor system is composed of two main subsystems. The first subsystem generates the markers and places them on the surface. The second subsystem is a receiving element, which continuously acquires relative position signals from the markers placed on the road surface. This new sensor concept is envisaged to be applied in the following areas, automotive sector, planetary exploration and underwater seabed exploration. Initial experiments employing a camera system as sensor have been conducted and results are presented.