A HW/SW implementation on FPGA of a robot localization algorithm

This paper presents an implementation of robot localization algorithm using FPGA technology. The adopted localization method uses webcam tracking images. This technique has been developed and implemented for the motion of the robot from an initial position towards another desired position. Firstly, we have validated our approach on PC platform using C language and OpenCV library. Secondly, for the autonomous navigation, a mixed HW/SW implementation was been developed using a high performance version of the NIOS processor coupled with a hardware accelerator. Experimental tests on Altera Cyclone III FPGA Starter Kit proved the effectiveness of the proposed architecture.