Omni-directional reflection (ODR) property of one-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) structures consisting of alternate layers of Germanium (Ge), and calcium fluoride (CaF2). The existence of total Omni-directional reflection band gap in 1D-PC is predicted theoretically. Reflectivity of one dimensional periodic structure for TE and TM-modes at different angles of incidence has been calculated by...

In this paper, we propose SURF feature based approach for mobile robot navigation. In this approach, we capture environmental images by using omni-directional camera and extract features of these images by using SURF. We treat these features as landmarks and estimate robot self-location and direction of motion. SURF features are invariant under scale change and rotation and robust under image n...

In this paper, we purpose a new holonomic omni-directional mobile robot that can move on not only flat floors but also uneven environment. A prototype robot can move in omni-direction, run on the uneven floors and slopes, and pass over large steps. The robot has seven universal wheels that have twelve cylindrical free rollers. We adopt a passive suspension system that enable the robot to change...

Map information is important for path planning and self-localization when mobile robots accomplish autonomous tasks. In unknown environments, mobile robots should generate an environment map by themselves. Then, we propose a method for construction of the 3D environment model by a mobile robot. The method is based on structure from motion. We use a single omni-directional camera to measure the ...

Omni-directional robots are becoming more and more common in recent robotic applications. They offer improved ease of maneuverability and effectiveness at the expense of increased complexity. Frequent applications include but are not limited to robotic competitions and service robotics. The goal of this work is to find a precise dynamical model in order to predict the robot behavior. Models wer...

This paper considers a method for the visual-based navigation of a mobile robot in an indoor environment. The sole sensor used is an omni-directional camera. Navigation is achieved by combining appearance based methods and visual servoing. A database of omni-directional images is obtained during a training stage. This database maps the environment in a topological sense. Since the image set is ...

The present study, based on 158 HIV seropositives and 167 HIV seronegatives, demonstrates that saliva collected with the Omni-SAL device and tested with GACELISA (an IgG antibody capture ELISA) is an effective non-invasive alternative to serum for anti-HIV IgG antibody screening. The study also shows that a conventional serum Western blot kit can be used, with slight modifications, for confirma...

This paper reports narrowband and wideband results derived by propagation modeling at 60 GHz for indoor WLAN applications. A multi-ray model is proposed and verified through a simulation process. The propagation in the site-specific environment can be described using 4-5 rays without reducing the accuracy of the results. RMS delay spread varies with distance from 0.57 ns up to 2.32 ns. Coherenc...

This paper presents an efficient approach for representation and coding of omni-directional video that applies exclusively available MPEG-4 technology, i.e. the combination of 3D Mesh Objects with video textures. This allows application of efficient spherical projections such as equal-area projections or a faceted representation of the image information. Any 3D MPEG-4 player can be used to rend...