Outdoor environment simulators for vision-based safety sensors — Artificial sunlight lampheads and simulated-snow chamber

This paper proposes two types of outdoor environment simulators to evaluate and test vision-based safety sensors for personal care robots. One of the simulators is the artificial sunlight lampheads, which reproduce near-natural direct sunlight. The other is the simulated-snow chamber, which simulates visibility reduction due to snowfall. The specifications of the simulators are described in detail and then some experimental testing results for three different types of sensors are provided to demonstrate the necessity of the simulators.