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A Survey of Optical Flow Techniques for Robotics Navigation Applications

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Abstract

Optical flow has been widely used by insects and birds to support navigation functions. Such information has appealing capabilities for application to ground and aerial robots, especially for navigation and collision avoidance in urban or indoor areas. The purpose of this paper is to provide a survey of existing optical flow techniques for robotics navigation applications. Detailed comparisons are made among different optical-flow-aided navigation solutions with emphasis on the sensor hardware as well as optical flow motion models. A summary of current research status and future research directions are further discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA

    Haiyang Chao

  2. Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA

    Yu Gu & Marcello Napolitano

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  1. Haiyang Chao
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  2. Yu Gu
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  3. Marcello Napolitano
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Correspondence to Haiyang Chao.

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Chao, H., Gu, Y. & Napolitano, M. A Survey of Optical Flow Techniques for Robotics Navigation Applications. J Intell Robot Syst 73, 361–372 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-013-9923-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-013-9923-6

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