Human Search Apparatus Using RGBD Imaging and Auditory Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic systems face challenges in efficiently identifying a specific human in complex scenarios, such as crowded rooms, where the target may not be in full view or facing the robot, leading to an unsatisfactory user experience.
Innovation Solution
A human search apparatus equipped with an RGBD imaging device, microphone, and a processor that generates a human map based on environmental factors, context recognition, and sound detection, allowing the robot to navigate to a frontal view of the target human using image processing and auditory cues when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the robot uses traditional human identification methods in crowded rooms, then it can identify humans, but it requires potential target humans to interact with the robot which leads to unsatisfying user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of RGBD imaging devices, microphones, and processing units that act as a mediator between the robot and potential target humans. This intermediary captures visual and auditory data, processes it to generate human maps and confidence values, and enables the robot to identify targets without requiring direct interaction from potential targets, thereby improving user experience while managing system complexity through structured data processing pipelines
2Measurement precision
If the robot searches for a target human in complex scenarios, then it can locate the target, but it takes longer processing time when the target is not in full view or facing the robot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by using RGBD imaging devices to capture depth information and generate human maps before final identification. The system pre-processes visual data to create spatial representations of humans in the environment, estimates their orientations, and prepares confidence values in advance. This preliminary processing allows the robot to quickly identify targets even when not in full view or facing the robot, reducing search time while maintaining identification accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D image processing to 3D spatial understanding by incorporating depth information from RGBD imaging devices. The system generates human maps that represent spatial positions and orientations in three dimensions, allowing the robot to locate and identify targets regardless of their facing direction or partial occlusion. This dimensional enhancement enables accurate target identification in complex scenarios without significantly increasing search time
3Measurement precision
If the robot uses multiple sensors and processing units for human identification, then identification accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensors (RGBD imaging devices and microphones) and processing units into an integrated human identification system. The RGBD devices capture both visual and depth information simultaneously, while microphones capture auditory cues. The processing units combine data from these sensors to generate human maps, estimate orientations, and calculate confidence values in a unified framework. This merging approach improves identification accuracy by utilizing complementary sensor data while managing complexity through integrated processing architectures
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses and methods may generate a map of a search environment based on a probability of a target human being present within the search environment, capture a red, green, blue, depth (RGBD) image of one or more potential target humans in the search environment based on the map, and cause a robot apparatus to obtain a frontal view position with respect to at least one of the one or more potential target humans based on the RGBD images.