This paper overviews experiments in autonomous visual-based navigation undertaken at the Instituto de Sistemas e Robótica. By considering the precise nature of the robot’s task, we specify a navigation method which fulfills the environmental and localization requirements best suited to achieving this task. Ongoing research into task specification using 3D models, along with improvements to our ...

The past years have revealed a dramatically increasing interest in the use of mobile Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in various automotive applications. Car navigation systems employ digital maps to guide the driver to the desired destination. Next generation driver assistance systems will use enhanced maps in order to present precise navigation hints (including speed limits, locations o...

Autonomous outdoor quad-rotor helicopters increasingly attract the attention of potential researchers. Several structures and configurations have been developed to allow 3D movements. The quadrotor helicopter is made of a rigid cross frame equipped with four rotors. The autonomous quad-rotor architecture has been chosen for this research for its low dimension, good manoeuvrability, simple mecha...

Autonomous navigation in natural environments remains a considerable challenge, primarily because of the difficulty in describing the environment of the robot in a way that captures the variability of natural environments Error! Reference source not found.. While it is possible – although by no means trivial – to build models of smooth, 3-D terrain, it is much more difficult to deal with areas ...

This paper explores applying qualitative reasoning to a driver’s mental state in real driving situations so as to develop a working load for intelligent transportation systems. The authors identify the cognitive state that determines whether a driver will be ready to operate a device in car navigation. In order to identify the driver’s cognitive state, the authors will measure eye movements dur...

This paper reports on current research to automate the task of ship hull inspection and search using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). We describe an automated feature-based navigation (FBN) and mapping framework that provides the AUV with precise in-situ hull-relative localization. Our vision-based perception approach eliminates the need for having to deploy additional navigation infrastr...

The use of omnidirectional cameras underwater is enabling many new and exciting applications in multiple fields. Among these, the creation of virtual tours from omnidirectional image surveys is expected to have a large impact in terms of science and conservation outreach. These surveys can be performed by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) that can cover...

The decline of the cognitive abilities related to age usually determines a gradual withdrawal of older adults within the domestic walls. Part of the problem is the difficulty in navigating in large and crowded environments that may be perceived as intimidating. To alleviate this problem, we propose a vibrotactile device which can be used along with a walking assistant endowed with autonomous se...

This paper presents preliminary development of autonomous sensor-guided behaviors for a six-legged dynamical robot (RHex). These behaviors represent the first exteroceptive closed-loop locomotion strategies for this system. Simple motion models for RHex are described and used to deploy controllers for inertial straight line locomotion and visual line following. Results are experimentally valida...