Person following control for a mobile robot based on color invariance corresponding to varying illumination

Abstract

In this paper, we present a method of person following control for a mobile robot using visual information. Color information is often used for object tracking. Color information of objects varies greatly under illumination changing environment. In such conditions , the robot controlled by visu al information may lose sight of a person. In this paper, we consider a robust person following method by color invariance and image - based control. Color invariance show s robust features of colored objects in terms of changing illumination conditions . At f irst, we estimate the lowest positions of both feet of a tracked person through particle filters based on color invariances . Then, we control the velocity of the robot to track the person by using the image - based controller. Experimental results using a n a ctual robot demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.