RI: Small: Towards Portable Navigational Devices for the Visually Impaired

本项目的目标是设计计算机视觉方法，使便携式盲人导航设备(PBND)能够在非结构化环境中指导视障人士。本课题的主要研究问题是采用单一感知传感器的方法是否能够解决盲目导航问题，包括PBND的定位和目标识别。这项工作的一个显著特点是，它通过同时处理3D成像传感器的视觉和距离信息来解决盲目导航问题。该项目由四个相关的研究项目组成。首先，研究了在GPS干扰环境下精确估计PBND位姿的技术。其次，开发了一种有效的3D数据分割方法，使场景识别能够用于寻路。第三，将位姿估计方法应用于3D距离数据配准，并设计了减小配准误差的方法。第四，它解决了在有限计算能力的PBND中方法的实时实现。这项研究将导致新的算法，可以在短期内改善视障人士的生活。它们还将使小型机器人能够自主，这些机器人在军事态势感知、消防和搜救中有更广泛的应用。这些发现将彻底改变小型机器人的自主性，并影响整个机器人研究界。更广泛的影响还包括对本科生和研究生的培训，以及通过科学博物馆和技术展示中的讲习班和机器人展品教育公众关于机器人的知识。

The objective of this project is to devise computer vision methods that enable a Portable Blind Navigational Device (PBND) to guide a visually impaired person in unstructured environments. The main research question of this project is to answer if the approach of employing a single perception sensor can solve blind navigation problem, including localization of the PBND and object recognition. A distinctive feature of this work is that it addresses blind navigation problem by simultaneously processing the visual and range information of a 3D imaging sensor. The project consists of four related research endeavors. First, it investigates techniques for accurate and precise pose estimation of the PBND in a GPS-denied environment. Second, it develops an effective 3D data segmentation method to allow scene recognition for wayfinding. Third, it applies the pose estimation method to register 3D range data and devises methods to reduce registration error. Four, it addresses real-time implementation of the methods in the PBND with limited computing power. The research will result in new algorithms that can improve the lives of the visually impaired in the near term. They will also enable the autonomy of small robots that have wider applications in military situational awareness, firefighting, and search and rescue. The discoveries will revolutionize small robot autonomy and impact the robotics research community as a whole. Broader impacts also include training of undergraduate and graduate students, and educating the public on robotics through workshops and robot exhibits in science museums and technology showcases.