Cooperative control of multiple robots using an omnidirectional camera

• Main Author: Chung, Raymond Jia Jun
• Other Authors: HU GUOQIANG
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Control and instrumentation::Robotics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68295
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The field of robotics have been increasingly enhanced with greater innovations and intelligent systems. With the implementation of sensor modules, robots are now able to carry out more tasks. Additionally, with the extensive capabilities of a robot, sensor modules have also been continuously enhanced to better suit the demands of the machine. In recent years, geographic information systems have been utilising robots to identify, store, evaluate, and depict all kinds of dimensional and geographical data. For smarter navigations, sensor modules such as omnidirectional cameras are integrated together with the machine. With the omnidirectional camera, robots would be allowed wider visions, which in turn enables efficient detections as lesser frame images are required to capture the surrounding. This report aims to develop a visual behaviour formation system by utilising an omnidirectional camera, specifically Ladybug 2, which provides the robot a vision of more than 70% of its surroundings. Using the advantages of 360 degree vision, it could improve visual behaviour formation as it enables the robot to perceive more information of the other robots in the formation. Additionally, this report seeks to develop an object detection and tracking function on Ladybug 2 using a SURF detector and descriptor. However, due to the incompatibility of Ladybug 2 with the Pioneer 3-AT robot, this report will also be implementing a spherical visual structure formation system without the usage of sensor modules.