<p>The goal of this work has been to improve the accuracy of a pre-existing algorithm for vehicle pose estimation, which uses intrinsic measurements of vehicle motion and measurements derived from far infrared images.</p><p>Estimating the pose of a vehicle, based on images from an on-board camera and intrinsic measurements of vehicle motion, is a problem of simultanoeus localization and mapping (SLAM), and it can be solved using the extended Kalman filter (EKF). The EKF is a causal filter, so if the pose estimation problem is to be solved off-line acausal methods are expected to increase estimation accuracy significantly. In this work the EKF has been compared with an acausal method for solving the SLAM problem called smoothing and mapping (SAM) which is an optimization based method that minimizes process and measurement noise.</p><p>Analyses of how improvements in the vehicle motion model, using a number of different model extensions, affects accuracy of pose estimates have also been performed.</p>

The problem considered in this thesis is the development of an autonomous prototype robot capable of gathering sensory information from its environment allowing it to provide feedback on the condition of specific targets to aid in maintenance of hydro equipment. The context for the solution to this problem is based on the power grid environment operated by the local hydro utility. The intent is to monitor power line structures by travelling along skywire located at the top of towers, providing a view of everything beneath it including, for example, insulators, conductors, and towers. The contribution of this thesis is a novel robot design with the potential to prevent hazardous situations and the use of rough coverage feedback modified reinforcement learning algorithms to establish behaviours. / October 2007

The goal of this work has been to improve the accuracy of a pre-existing algorithm for vehicle pose estimation, which uses intrinsic measurements of vehicle motion and measurements derived from far infrared images. Estimating the pose of a vehicle, based on images from an on-board camera and intrinsic measurements of vehicle motion, is a problem of simultanoeus localization and mapping (SLAM), and it can be solved using the extended Kalman filter (EKF). The EKF is a causal filter, so if the pose estimation problem is to be solved off-line acausal methods are expected to increase estimation accuracy significantly. In this work the EKF has been compared with an acausal method for solving the SLAM problem called smoothing and mapping (SAM) which is an optimization based method that minimizes process and measurement noise. Analyses of how improvements in the vehicle motion model, using a number of different model extensions, affects accuracy of pose estimates have also been performed.

In general, stereovision can be defined as a two part problem. The first is the correspondence problem. This involves determining the image point in each image of a set of images that correspond to the same physical point P. We will call this set of image points, N. The second problem is the reconstruction problem. Once a set of image points, N, that correspond to point P has been determined, N is then used to extract three dimensional information about point P. This master's thesis presents three novel solutions to the reconstruction problem. Two of the techniques presented are for detecting the location of a 3-D point and one for detecting a line expressed in a three dimensional coordinate system. These techniques are tested and validated using a unique 3-D finger detection algorithm. The techniques presented are unique because of their simplicity and because they do not require the cameras to be placed in specific locations, orientations or have specific alignments. On the contrary, it will be shown that the techniques presented in this thesis allow the two cameras used to assume almost any relative pose provided that the object of interest is within their field of view. The relative pose of the cameras at a given instant in time, along with basic equations from the perspective image model are used to form a system of equations that when solved, reveal the 3-D coordinates of a particular fixed point of interest or the three dimensional equation of a fixed line of interest. Finally, it will be shown that a single moving camera can successfully perform the same line and point detection accomplished by two cameras by altering the pose of the camera. The results presented in this work are beneficial to any typical stereovision application because of the computational ease in comparison to other point and line reconstruction techniques. But more importantly, this work allows for a single moving camera to perceive three-dimensional position information, which effectively removes the two camera constraint for a stereo vision system. When used with other monocular cues such as texture or color, the work presented in this thesis could be as accurate as binocular stereo vision at interpreting three dimensional information. Thus, this work could potentially increase the three dimensional perception of a robot that normally uses one camera, such as an eye-in-hand robot or a snake like robot.

The problem considered in this thesis is the development of an autonomous prototype robot capable of gathering sensory information from its environment allowing it to provide feedback on the condition of specific targets to aid in maintenance of hydro equipment. The context for the solution to this problem is based on the power grid environment operated by the local hydro utility. The intent is to monitor power line structures by travelling along skywire located at the top of towers, providing a view of everything beneath it including, for example, insulators, conductors, and towers. The contribution of this thesis is a novel robot design with the potential to prevent hazardous situations and the use of rough coverage feedback modified reinforcement learning algorithms to establish behaviours.

The problem considered in this thesis is the development of an autonomous prototype robot capable of gathering sensory information from its environment allowing it to provide feedback on the condition of specific targets to aid in maintenance of hydro equipment. The context for the solution to this problem is based on the power grid environment operated by the local hydro utility. The intent is to monitor power line structures by travelling along skywire located at the top of towers, providing a view of everything beneath it including, for example, insulators, conductors, and towers. The contribution of this thesis is a novel robot design with the potential to prevent hazardous situations and the use of rough coverage feedback modified reinforcement learning algorithms to establish behaviours.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Large displays are everywhere, and have been shown to provide higher productivity gain and user satisfaction compared to traditional desktop monitors. The computer mouse remains the most common input tool for users to interact with these larger displays. Much effort has been made on making this interaction more natural and more intuitive for the user. The use of computer vision for this purpose has been well researched as it provides freedom and mobility to the user and allows them to interact at a distance. Interaction that relies on monocular computer vision, however, has not been well researched, particularly when used for depth information recovery. This thesis aims to investigate the feasibility of using monocular computer vision to allow bare-hand interaction with large display systems from a distance. By taking into account the location of the user and the interaction area available, a dynamic virtual touchscreen can be estimated between the display and the user. In the process, theories and techniques that make interaction with computer display as easy as pointing to real world objects is explored. Studies were conducted to investigate the way human point at objects naturally with their hand and to examine the inadequacy in existing pointing systems. Models that underpin the pointing strategy used in many of the previous interactive systems were formalized. A proof-of-concept prototype is built and evaluated from various user studies. Results from this thesis suggested that it is possible to allow natural user interaction with large displays using low-cost monocular computer vision. Furthermore, models developed and lessons learnt in this research can assist designers to develop more accurate and natural interactive systems that make use of human’s natural pointing behaviours.

Thesis (M. S.)--Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Vela, Patricio; Committee Member: Collins, Thomas; Committee Member: Howard, Ayanna

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Mar. 30, 2010). Additional advisors: Franklin R. Amthor, James E. Cox, Timothy J. Gawne, Rosalyn E. Weller. Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-114).

One of the central theoretical tenets of linear perspective is that it is based upon the idea of a monocular observer. Our lived perception, also referred to in the Renaissance as perspectiva naturalis, is always rooted in binocular vision, however, the guidelines for perspectiva artificialis often imply a single peeping eye as a starting point. In the early modern period, a number of rare art forms and instruments follow the prescriptive character of linear perspective to ludic ends. By focusing on this special class of what I would call 'monocular art forms', I will analyse the extent to which the perspectival method has been successfully applied in material form beyond the classic two-dimensional paintings. This special class of objects include: anamorphosis, peep-boxes, catoptrics, dioptric perspective tubes, and perspective instruments. It is my intention to draw attention to the different ways traditional perspectival paintings, exceptional cases such as perspective boxes and anamorphoses, and optical devices were encountered in the early modern period. In this thesis I will be examining the specific sites of each case study in depth so as to describe the various contexts - aristocratic, intellectual, religious - in which these items circulated. In Chapter 1 I illustrate a special class of perspective and anamorphic designs that confined their illusions to a peepshow. Chapter 2 examines one of the most consummate applications of the monocular principle of perspective: seventeenth-century Dutch perspective boxes. In Chapter 3, monocular catoptric designs are studied in light of the vogue for mirror cabinets in the seventeenth century. Chapter 4 examines the innovative techniques of drawing machines and their collection in early modern courts through close study of the 'perspectograph'.