Visual Position Identification for Mobile Platforms in Occluded Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for identifying the position of mobile platforms, such as robots and unmanned air vehicles, face inaccuracies due to signal interference, occlusion, and sensor drift, especially in enclosed or challenging environments, limiting their operational efficiency and precision.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a camera system on a mobile platform to capture images of other platforms and combine this data with received position information to determine the accurate position and orientation of the first mobile platform, enhancing accuracy and reliability in occluded environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS and radio navigation systems are used to identify the position of a mobile platform, then the position can be identified over large areas, but the position identification becomes inaccurate when signals are blocked or interfered with by environmental features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces visual features in the environment as intermediary objects that mediate between the mobile platform and the positioning system. Instead of relying directly on satellite or radio signals that can be blocked, the system uses camera-captured images of visual features as an intermediate step to determine position, thereby bypassing signal blockage issues
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces signal-based positioning systems (GPS, radio navigation) with a vision-based positioning system. This substitution uses optical detection (camera imaging) instead of electromagnetic signal reception, eliminating vulnerability to signal blockage while maintaining positioning capability in challenging environments
2Adaptability or versatility
If indoor positioning systems are used to identify the position of a mobile platform, then the system can operate in enclosed environments, but the position identification becomes inaccurate when signals are blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual features detected through camera imaging as intermediary markers for position identification. These visual features serve as reliable mediators that can be detected consistently in indoor environments without being blocked by typical indoor obstructions, enabling accurate positioning where signal-based systems fail
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes signal-based indoor positioning with vision-based positioning using camera systems. This replacement eliminates dependence on radio signals that are easily blocked in indoor settings, providing robust and accurate position identification throughout enclosed environments
3Reliability
If dead reckoning methods are used to track mobile platform position over time, then the system can maintain operation without external signals, but errors accumulate due to sensor drift and wheel slippage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the visual positioning system continuously provides position corrections to the dead reckoning system. By comparing the position estimated from sensor integration with the position determined from visual feature recognition, the system detects and corrects accumulated errors, maintaining long-term accuracy while preserving operational continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges dead reckoning methodology with visual positioning into a hybrid system. The dead reckoning component provides continuous position tracking between visual updates, while the visual positioning component periodically corrects accumulated errors. This combination leverages the strengths of both approaches: operational continuity from dead reckoning and accuracy from visual feedback
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for identifying a position of a mobile platform. Images are provided by a camera system on a first mobile platform. The images include images of a second platform. An identified position of the first mobile platform is generated using the images and the position information for the second platform. The position information for the second platform identifies a location of the second platform.