Showing papers on "Obstacle avoidance published in 1979"

Object detection and measurement using stereo vision

Abstract: A method of detecting and measuring objects for the purpose of representing three-dimensional outdoor scenes, using data such as that obtained from stereo vision or from a scanning laser rangefinder, is described. Objects are approximated by ellipsoids. Segmentation of the objects from the background and from each other is done by finding the ground surface, forming a preliminary segmentation by clustering the points above the ground by more than a threshold, fitting ellipsoids to match these clusters and to avoid obscuring the other points, and adjusting the clusters according to the fits. The method is designed to produce results useful for obstacle avoidance and navigation in an exploring vehicle, such as a Mars rover. An example is given showing results obtained from a stereo pair of pictures of Mars from the Viking Lander.

Method of and system for detecting marine obstacles

Abstract: A marine obstacle avoidance system for and method of alerting a helmsman of a marine vehicle to the danger of maritime collision with floating and/or submerged objects. The system includes an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, and an alarm. The transmitter transmits an incident light beam towards the waterline, whereupon a reflected light beam and a refracted lightbeam are generated. An obstacle in the path of either the incident and/or reflected and/or refracted beams is detected by reflecting the light back towards the receiver which, in turn, sounds the alarm.