Application of 3d-PMD Video Cameras for Tasks in the Autonomous Mobile Robotics

Abstract

Fast Localisation is a basic function within the mobile robotics. Beside the odometrie, mainly image sensors are used. This paper shows a short overview of the image sensors used for it. Outgoing from the 2D, 3D laser scanner, over 2D mono camera and 2D stereo camera, up to the omni-directional 2D camera are described problems, which appear in recording and modelling of the robot environment with such sensors. In this paper in comparison to the classical sensors a completely new 3D-PMD video camera is introduced as a more efficiently image sensor. This sensor can not only record the robot environment as normal 2D image but delivers furthermore additionally with the depth information into a three-dimensional video image. Concerning of speed and accuracy, new possibilities are opened in object and obstacle recognition, localization and autonomous map generation, within the mobile robotics.