Estimation of camera motion with feature flow model for 3D environment modeling by using omni-directional camera

Map information is important for path planning and self-localization when mobile robots accomplish autonomous tasks. In unknown environments, mobile robots should generate an environment map by themselves. Then, we propose a method for 3D environment modeling by a mobile robot. For environmental measurement, we use a single omni-directional camera. We propose a new estimation method of camera motions for improvement in measurement robustness and accuracy. The method takes advantage of a wide field of view of an omni-directional camera. Experimental results showed the effectiveness of the proposed method.