Centering behavior using peripheral vision

The ability to control egomotion using low resolution peripheral vision is crucial for enabling a small high resolution fovea to attend to features that require detailed examination. The robot described demonstrates the ability to use low resolution motion vision over large fields of view to steer between obstacles. The system uses the maximum flow observed in left and right peripheral visual fields to indicate obstacle proximity. Each peripheral field constitutes one-third of a wide-angle lens. The left and right proximates are compared to steer through the gap. Negative feedback control of steering is able to tolerate inaccuracies in the signal estimation. This interpretation of the flows is based on the assumption that the camera is translating along the gaze vector. This condition is maintained under egomotion by active gaze stabilization. Head rotation is countered by eye rotation, and gaze is returned to the heading by rapid camera movements when necessary