Using stereo vision to pursue moving agents with a mobile robot

To interact effectively with humans, mobile robots will need certain skills. One particularly important skill is the ability to pursue moving agents. To do this, the robot needs a robust visual tracking algorithm and an effective obstacle avoidance algorithm, plus a means of integrating these two behaviors in a seamless manner. In this paper, we introduce the proximity space method as a means for performing real-time, behavior-based control of visual gaze. We then show how this method is integrated with robot motion using an intelligent control architecture that can automatically reconfigure the robot´s behaviors in response to environmental changes. The resulting implementation pursues people and other robots around our laboratory for extended periods of time