Apparatus and method for generating three-dimensional map using structured light

• US 20090125175A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hyoung-ki, Bang, Seok-won, Park, Dong-ryeol, Kim, Dong-jo
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A three-dimensional map-generating apparatus and method using structured light. The apparatus for generating a three-dimensional map using structured light includes an odometer detecting the pose of a mobile robot, and a distance-measuring sensor including a light source module that emits light upward and a camera module that captures an image formed by light reflected from an obstacle, and measuring a distance to the obstacle using the captured image. The apparatus measures a distance to the obstacle using the distance-measuring sensor while changing the relative pose of the mobile robot, thereby generating a three-dimensional map.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional map-generating apparatus, comprising:

an odometer detecting a pose of a mobile robot;

a distance-measuring sensor, including a light source module to emit light upward relative to a movement direction of the mobile robot and a camera module to capture an image formed by the light as reflected from an obstacle, measuring a distance to the obstacle for the mobile robot using the captured image; and

a map-generating unit generating a three-dimensional map using the distance measured by the distance-measuring sensor while changing the pose of the mobile robot.

2. The three-dimensional map-generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source module is a laser.

3. The three-dimensional map-generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the map-generating unit accumulates three-dimensional data obtained by reflecting the pose of the mobile robot to measured two-dimensional distance data while changing the pose of the mobile robot, thereby generating the three-dimensional map.

4. The three-dimensional map-generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pose of the mobile robot includes position and direction angle of the mobile robot.

5. The three-dimensional map-generating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the odometer is an encoder or a gyro.

6. The three-dimensional map-generating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plane-extracting unit extracting a plane from the generated three-dimensional map.

7. The three-dimensional map-generating apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a feature-map-generating unit extracting feature points from the extracted plane to generate a feature map.

8. The three-dimensional map-generating apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a position-detecting unit comparing the feature points extracted from the map of the mobile robot at a current position with previously stored feature points on the feature map to detect the position of the mobile robot.

9. A three-dimensional map-generating method, comprising:

detecting a pose of a mobile robot;

measuring a distance to an obstacle for the mobile robot using a distance-measuring sensor that includes a light source module emitting light upward relative to a movement direction of the mobile robot and a camera module capturing an image formed by the light as reflected from the obstacle, and measuring the distance to the obstacle using the captured image; and

generating a three-dimensional map by measuring the distance while changing the pose of the mobile robot.

10. The three-dimensional map-generating method of claim 9, wherein the light source module is a laser.

11. The three-dimensional map-generating method of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional map is generated by accumulating three-dimensional data obtained by reflecting the pose of the mobile robot to measured two-dimensional distance data while changing the pose of the mobile robot.

12. The three-dimensional map-generating method of claim 9, wherein the pose of the mobile robot includes a position and direction angle of the mobile robot.

13. The three-dimensional map-generating method of claim 9, wherein the odometer is an encoder or a gyro.

14. The three-dimensional map-generating method of claim 9, further comprising:

extracting a plane from the generated three-dimensional map.

15. The three-dimensional map-generating method of claim 14, further comprising:

extracting feature points from the extracted plane to generate a feature map.

16. The three-dimensional map-generating method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing feature points extracted from the map of the mobile robot at a current position with previously stored feature points on the feature map to detect the position of the mobile robot.