From the Publisher: 
The accessible presentation of this book gives both a general view of the entire computer vision enterprise and also offers sufficient detail to be able to build useful applications. Users learn techniques that have proven to be useful by first-hand experience and a wide range of mathematical methods. A CD-ROM with every copy of the text contains source code for programming practice, color images, and illustrative movies. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this book includes essential topics that either reflect practical significance or are of theoretical importance. Topics are discussed in substantial and increasing depth. Application surveys describe numerous important application areas such as image based rendering and digital libraries. Many important algorithms broken down and illustrated in pseudo code. Appropriate for use by engineers as a comprehensive reference to the computer vision enterprise.

Computer vision : a modern approach = 计算机视觉 : 一种现代的方法

To create with an autonomous mobile robot a 3D volumetric map of a scene it is necessary to gage several 3D scans and to merge them into one consistent 3D model. This paper provides a new solution to the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem with six degrees of freedom. Robot motion on natural surfaces has to cope with yaw, pitch and roll angles, turning pose estimation into a problem in six mathematical dimensions. A fast variant of the Iterative Closest Points algorithm registers the 3D scans in a common coordinate system and relocalizes the robot. Finally, consistent 3D maps are generated using a global relaxation. The algorithms have been tested with 3D scans taken in the Mathies mine, Pittsburgh, PA. Abandoned mines pose significant problems to society, yet a large fraction of them lack accurate 3D maps.

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6D SLAM with an application in autonomous mine mapping

The need to collect, integrate, and communicate information effectively in emergency response scenarios exceeds the state of the art in information technology. This emergency response problem provides an interesting and important test bed for studying networks of distributed mobile robots and sensors. Here, we describe the component technologies required to deploy a networked-robot system that can augment human firefighters and first responders, significantly enhancing their firefighting capabilities. In a burning building at a firefighting training facility, we deployed a network of stationary Mote sensors, mobile robots with cameras, and stationary radio tags to test their ability to guide firefighters to targets and warn them of potential dangers. Our long-term vision is a physical network that can sense, move, compute, and reason, letting network users (firefighters and first responders) Google for physical information - that is, information about the location and properties of physical objects in the real world.

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Robot and sensor networks for first responders

This article discusses the software architecture of an autonomous robotic system designed to explore and map abandoned mines. A new set of software tools is presented, enabling robots to acquire maps of unprecedented size and accuracy. On 30 May 2003, the robot "Groundhog" successfully explored and mapped a main corridor of the abandoned Mathies mine near Courtney, Pennsylvania. This article also discusses some of the challenges that arise in the subterranean environments and some the difficulties of building truly autonomous robots.

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Autonomous exploration and mapping of abandoned mines

We develop a network of distributed mobile sensor systems as a solution to the emergency response problem. The mobile sensors are inside a building and they form a connected ad-hoc network. We discuss cooperative localization algorithms for these nodes. The sensors collect temperature data and run a distributed algorithm to assemble a temperature gradient. The mobile nodes are controlled to navigate using this temperature gradient. We also discuss how such networks can assist human users to find an exit. We have conducted an experiment to at a facility used to train firefighters to understand the environment and to test component technology. Results from experiments at this facility as well as simulations are presented here.

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Distributed Search and Rescue with Robot and Sensor Teams

We present an early experimental result toward solving the localization problem with range-only sensors We perform an experiment in which a mobile robot localizes using dead reckoning and range measurements to stationary radio-frequency beacons in its environment, incorporating the range measurements into the position estimate using a Kalman filter This data set involves over 20,000 range readings to surveyed beacons while a robot moved continuously over a path for nearly 1 hour Careful groundtruth accurate to a few centimeters was recorded during this motion We show the improvement of the robot's position estimate over dead reckoning even when the range readings are very noisy We extend this approach to the problem of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), localizing both the robot and tag positions from noisy initial estimates

Experimental results in range-only localization with radio

Inherent dangers in mining operations motivate the use of robotic technology for addressing hazardous situations that prevent human access. In the context of this case study, we examine the application of a robotic tool for map verification and void profiling in abandoned limestone mines for analysis of cavity extent. To achieve this end, our device enables remote, highly accurate measurements of the subterranean voids to be acquired. In this paper we discuss the design of the robotic tool, demonstrate its application in void assessment for prevention and response to subsidence, and present results from a case study performed in the limestone mines of Kansas City, Kansas.

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Derek Kurth

Papers

Experimental results in range-only localization with radio

Case Studies of a Borehole Deployable Robot for Limestone Mine Profiling and Mapping.