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Mobile robot navigation employing retroreflective ceiling features

  • US 5,051,906 A
  • Filed: 06/07/1989
  • Issued: 09/24/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Navigation apparatus for generating navigation related information for a vehicle, comprising:

  • means for obtaining an image of a surface which overlies a vehicle or a projected path of the vehicle, the surface having one or more retroreflective features disposed thereon;

    means for illuminating the retroreflective features;

    means, coupled to said obtaining means, for detecting a location within the image of the one or more retroreflective features; and

    means, coupled to said detecting means, for generating, from the detected feature location or locations, at least vehicle position and orientation information, whereinsaid image obtaining means comprises means for forming a two-dimensional image comprised of a plurality of image pixels,wherein said detecting means comprises means, coupled to said two-dimensional image forming means, for identifying pixels which correspond to two opposing edges of the retroreflective feature, andwherein said generating means comprises means, coupled to said pixel identifying means, for projecting a line from the pixels that correspond to each of the opposing edges of the feature, an intersection of the projected lines defining a vanishing point.

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