Jacky Baltes

No-reference stereoscopic image quality assessment

Display of stereo images is widely used to enhance the viewing experience of three-dimensional imaging and communication systems. In this paper, we propose a method for estimating the quality of stereoscopic images using segmented image features and disparity. This method is inspired by the human visual system. We believe the perceived distortion and disparity of any stereoscopic display is strongly dependent on local features, such as edge (non-plane) and non-edge (plane) areas. Therefore, a no-reference perceptual quality assessment is developed for JPEG coded stereoscopic images based on segmented local features of artifacts and disparity. Local feature information such as edge and non-edge area based relative disparity estimation, as well as the blockiness and the blur within the block of images are evaluated in this method. Two subjective stereo image databases are used to evaluate the performance of our method. The subjective experiments results indicate our model has sufficient prediction performance.

RoboCup 2009: Robot Soccer world cup XIII

Coordinated Action in a Heterogeneous Rescue Team.- Concept Evaluation of a Reflex Inspired Ball Handling Device for Autonomous Soccer Robots.- Development of a Realistic Simulator for Robotic Intelligent Wheelchairs in a Hospital Environment.- Creating Photo Maps with an Aerial Vehicle in USARsim.- Real-Time Hand Gesture Recognition for Human Robot Interaction.- Combining Key Frame Based Motion Design with Controlled Movement Execution.- Applying Dynamic Walking Control for Biped Robots.- Modeling Human Decision Making Using Extended Behavior Networks.- Motion Synthesis through Randomized Exploration on Submanifolds of Configuration Space.- Robust and Computationally Efficient Navigation in Domestic Environments.- Robust Collision Avoidance in Unknown Domestic Environments.- Real-Time Ball Tracking in a Semi-automated Foosball Table.- Three Humanoid Soccer Platforms: Comparison and Synthesis.- Learning Complementary Multiagent Behaviors: A Case Study.- Rollover as a Gait in Legged Autonomous Robots: A Systems Analysis.- Pareto-Optimal Collaborative Defensive Player Positioning in Simulated Soccer.- A Novel Camera Parameters Auto-adjusting Method Based on Image Entropy.- Object Recognition with Statistically Independent Features: A Model Inspired by the Primate Visual Cortex.- Using Genetic Algorithms for Real-Time Object Detection.- An Approximate Computation of the Dominant Region Diagram for the Real-Time Analysis of Group Behaviors.- A Lua-based Behavior Engine for Controlling the Humanoid Robot Nao.- Stable Mapping Using a Hyper Particle Filter.- A Characterization of 3D Sensors for Response Robots.- Multiple Model Kalman Filters: A Localization Technique for RoboCup Soccer.- Integrated Genetic Algorithmic and Fuzzy Logic Approach for Decision Making of Police Force Agents in Rescue Simulation Environment.- IntellWheels MMI: A Flexible Interface for an Intelligent Wheelchair.- Analyzing the Human-Robot Interaction Abilities of a General-Purpose Social Robot in Different Naturalistic Environments.- Communicating among Robots in the RoboCup Middle-Size League.- Multi-robot Cooperative Object Localization.- Evolution of Biped Walking Using Truncated Fourier Series and Particle Swarm Optimization.- Efficient Behavior Learning by Utilizing Estimated State Value of Self and Teammates.- Sensor and Information Fusion Applied to a Robotic Soccer Team.- Omnidirectional Walking Using ZMP and Preview Control for the NAO Humanoid Robot.- RoboCup@Home: Results in Benchmarking Domestic Service Robots.- Connecting the Real World with the Virtual World - Controlling AIBO through Second Life.- A Hybrid Agent Simulation System of Rescue Simulation and USARSim Simulations from Going to Fire-Escape Doors to Evacuation to Shelters.- SSL-Vision: The Shared Vision System for the RoboCup Small Size League.- Heuristic Formation Control in Multi-robot Systems Using Local Communication and Limited Identification.- Cooperative Multi-robot Map Merging Using Fast-SLAM.

Fuzzy potential energy for a map approach to robot navigation

Abstract A fully autonomous robot needs a flexible map to solve frequent change of robot situations and/or tasks. In this paper, based on the second type of fuzzy modeling, fuzzy potential energy (FPE) is proposed to build a map that facilitates planning robot tasks for real paths. Three rules for making use of FPEs are derived to ground the basic ideas of building a map for task navigation. How the FPE performs robot navigation is explained by its gradient directions and shown by its gradient trajectories. To code qualitative information into quantity, the proposed FPE provides a way to quickly find a path for conducting the designated task or solving a robot under an embarrassing situation. This paper pioneers novel design and application of fuzzy modeling for a special map that exploits innovation usage of task navigation for real paths. Actually, visibility graphs based on the knowledge of human experts are employed to build FPE maps for navigation. To emphasize the idea of the created FPE, seven remarks direct the roadmap towards being a utility tool for robot navigation. Three illustrative examples, containing three spatial patterns, doors, corridors and cul-de-sacs, are also included. This paper paves the way to create ideas of intelligent navigation for further developments.

A benchmark suite for mobile robots

Describes a benchmark suite for mobile robots that provides quantitative measurements of a mobile robots ability to perform specific tasks. Guidelines for the design of benchmark tests were derived from other areas faced with the problem of evaluating complex systems. The benchmarks test the control and accuracy of the path and trajectory tracking, the static path planning, and the dynamic path planning ability of a mobile robot. A set of metrics that provide important information about a mobile robots performance are also presented. These benchmarks could also be used as simple games. Their inclusion in robotic games will lead to an increased opportunity for researchers to evaluate their work without having to buy expensive or special purpose equipment.

Toward an Undergraduate League for RoboCup

This paper outlines ideas for establishing within RoboCup a league geared toward, and limited to, undergraduate students. Veterans of RoboCupJunior are outgrowing the league as they enter college and this has motivated us to develop a league especially for undergraduate students – the ULeague. The design of the league, presented here, is based on a simplied setup of the Small-size league by providing standard Vision and Communication packages.

Progress in Robotics

This volume is a selection of papers of six international conferences that are held under the umbrella of the 12th FIRA RoboWorld congress, in Incheon, Korea, August 16-18, 2009. From the 115 contributed papers 44 papers are included in the volume, which is organized into 6 sections: humanoid robotics, human robot interaction, education and entertainment, cooperative robotics, robotic system design, and learning, optimization, communication. The volume is intended to provide readers with the recent technical progresses in robotics, human robot interactions, cooperative robotics and the related fields.

Objective no-reference stereoscopic image quality prediction based on 2D image features and relative disparity

Stereoscopic images are widely used to enhance the viewing experience of three-dimensional (3D) imaging and communication system. In this paper, we propose an image feature and disparity dependent quality evaluation metric, which incorporates human visible system characteristics. We believe perceived distortions and disparity of any stereoscopic image are strongly dependent on local features, such as edge (i.e., nonplane areas of an image) and nonedge (i.e., plane areas of an image) areas within the image. Therefore, a no-reference perceptual quality assessment method is developed for JPEG coded stereoscopic images based on segmented local features of distortions and disparity. Local feature information such as edge and non-edge area based relative disparity estimation, as well as the blockiness and the edge distortion within the block of images are evaluated in this method. Subjective stereo image database is used for evaluation of the metric. The subjective experiment results indicate that our metric has sufficient prediction performance.

A fuzzy logic controller for car-like mobile robots

This paper describes a fuzzy logic controller for car-like mobile robots. It introduces a simple heuristic that helps a designer in specifying the fuzzy input and output sets. The design of fuzzy rules follows intuitively from the design of the fuzzy input sets. In practical tests, this fuzzy logic controller resulted in greatly reduced errors and also in a control law with 75% less control work than a traditional sliding mode controller.

Review: robotics competitions as benchmarks for ai research

In the last two decades various intelligent robotics competitions have become very popular. Arguably the most well-known of these are the robotic soccer competitions. In addition to their value in attracting media and capturing the minds of the general public, these competitions also provide benchmark problems for various robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. As with any benchmark, care must be taken that the benchmark does not introduce unwarranted biases. This paper critically evaluates the AI contributions made by various robotic competitions on AI research.

Adaptive Path Planner for Highly Dynamic Environments

This paper describes adaptive path planning, a novel approach to path planning for car-like mobile robots. Instead of creating a new plan from scratch, whenever changes in the environment invalidate the current plan, the adaptive path planner attempts to adapt the old plan to the new situation. The paper proposes an efficient representation for path that is easily amendable to adaptation. Associated with the path planner is a set of repair strategies. These repair strategies are local methods to fix a plan to compensate for object movement in the domain. The repair strategies are specific and have a high probability of being able to fix a plan. An empirical evaluation shows that adaptive path planning is suitable to highly dynamic domains, such as RoboCup. Adaptive path planning reduces the cumulative planning time by a factor of 2:7 compared to Bicchis planner. At the same time, the quality of the plans generated by the adaptive path planner were similar to those generated by Bicchis planner.