This is an OpenCV and Robotics question – let me know if we need to move it to Robotics.
I’m attempting to build an Autonomous lawn mower to cut a 1.5 acre plot of land.
After researching many ideas on outdoor positioning, I believe that i’ll go with GPS for rough positioning, and fixed-point cameras for more accurate positioning. By using multiple cameras at known positions and angles, along with an easy to detect structure on the rover, I’m hoping to precisely locate the rover (± 20 cm, out to 100m). Graphic shows the concept – I will of course have more cameras. Once position is calculated, it would be sent via RF down to the mower to calculate next steps.
A couple of questions:
- Has anybody here toyed with a similar concept ?
- Any experience in detection using OpenCV, or angle calculations based on images?
- Any suggestions for something which is easily detectable by the cameras? I think could be as simple as a posterboard painted orange. Multiple colored panels on each side could help to determine the heading.
- I’m also considering just using cameras on the rover, and a neural network approach to guiding it. I think this will be much more difficult up front, but could potentially yield some nice results.
Much appreciated,
Nate