Robot tracking using vision and laser sensors

We present a real-time person tracking system for a mobile robot using the information from a PTZ video camera and a laser range finder. For robust tracking, the target person model is constructed. The model includes the color, edge and size information of the tracked person. People moving in the field of view are detected by the robot via the laser range finder and verified against the target person model using the images captured by the onboard camera. A particle filter is used to estimate the position and the velocity of the moving target person for controlling the robot to follow the target. Key characteristics of the proposed system are real-time operation and ability to adapt to different moving targets. Experimental results performed in indoor environments show the effectiveness and robustness of the developed approach.