Optimal stereo mast configuration for mobile robots

Abstract

Planning the placement of stereo cameras on a mobile robot is often a balancing act between the quality of stereo data, the reliability of stereo matching, and ensuring that the cameras see enough of the robot's environment for navigation. In this paper, we present a nonlinear programming formulation to determine the optimal parameters for two stereo pairs of cameras and a camera mast for a mobile robot. We have applied this method to the design of a stereo camera mast for Nomad, a prototype rover currently under construction at Carnegie Mellon University, and present the results of designing that mast.