Visual attention-based robot navigation using information sampling

This paper presents a method whereby an autonomous mobile robot automatically selects the most informative data from a set of images acquired a priori, using a statistical method termed Information Sampling. These data could be a single pixel or a number scattered throughout an image. This information is then used to build a topological map of the environment. Our sole input data are omnidirectional images obtained from a catadioptric panoramic camera. Experimental results show that by using only the best data the topological position of a robot, visually maneuvering through a simple indoor environment, can easily be determined.