Systems and methods for automated water detection using visible sensors

1. A method of autonomously detecting water bodies within a scene comprising:

capturing at least one 3D image of a scene using a sensor system configured to detect visible light and to measure distance from points within the scene to the sensor system;

detecting candidate water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images that possess at least one characteristic indicative of the presence of water;

filtering out false positives from the candidate water using the processor, where the false positives comprise a pixel of candidate water with a non-level slope value; and

localizing the detected water using the processor, where the processor is further configured to aggregate water detections by:

aggregating at least one detected water body on an image;

finding an elevation for each detected water body; and

fusing each detected water body to a horizontal plane in a 3D reconstruction of the scene at the elevation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic indicative of the presence of water is at least one of sky reflections, object reflections or color variations.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images that possess color variations comprises:

detecting the horizon line in each of the at least one 3D images;

detecting the ground in each of the at least one 3D images;

detecting at least one low texture region with a monochrome intensity above a monochrome intensity threshold on the ground;

expanding the low texture regions where the intensity gradient is at an expansion threshold;

fitting each low texture region to a shape approximating the outline of a body of water encompassing the low texture region; and

line fitting the pixels within each low texture region for lines representing the changes in color levels with varying distances from the ground to the sensor in both saturation and brightness.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising thresholding the line fitting for differences between the saturation and the brightness lines for the rates of change in color level with varying distance on the ground from the sensor.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising thresholding at least one of:

size of the low texture regions;

type of the shape approximating the outline of a body of water;

pixel density within the shape;

dimensions of the shape;

slope of the lines from line fitting of the pixels in each low texture region; or

error of the line fitting of the pixels in each low texture region.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one of:

the expanding the low texture regions is performed by flood filling;

the shape approximating the outline of a body of water is shaped as an ellipse; and

the line fitting is performed by least squares line fitting.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images that possess sky reflections comprises:

detecting the horizon line in each of the at least one 3D images;

detecting the sky in each of the at least one 3D images;

detecting the ground in each of the at least one 3D images; and

comparing pixels from the ground to pixels in the sky.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising thresholding a degree of similarity between the compared ground and sky pixels.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein comparing pixels from the ground to pixels in the sky comprises:

averaging the lower sky pixels in each image column; and

scanning for pixels on the ground for color that is similar to the averaged sky color.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the comparing pixels from the ground to pixels in the sky comprises:

geometrically locating pixels in the sky that pixels on the ground can be reflecting; and

comparing the pixels on the ground to the corresponding pixels in the sky for similarity.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images that possess object reflections comprises:

detecting the horizon line in the at least one 3D images;

detecting the ground in the at least one 3D images;

detecting inflection points on the ground; and

detecting object reflection end pixels on the ground.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images that possess object reflections comprises:

detecting the horizon line in the at least one 3D images;

detecting the ground in the at least one 3D images; and

detecting zero disparity pixels on the ground.

13. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images that possess object reflections comprises:

inverting a pixel blob of the at least one 3D images; and

cross correlating the inverted pixel blob with any other pixel blob above the inverted pixel blob.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images that possess object reflections comprises:

detecting the horizon line in each of the at least one 3D images;

detecting the ground in each of the at least one 3D images;

detecting at least one range void on the ground;

determining a horizontal plane fit for each range void's perimeter points; and

filtering out portions of each range void that extend beyond the distance detected in the trailing edge of the range void's horizontal plane fit.

15. A method of autonomously detecting water bodies within a scene comprising:

capturing at least one 3D image of a scene using a sensor system configured to detect visible light and to measure distance from points within the scene to the sensor system;

detecting candidate water within the scene using a processor configured to detect regions within each of the at least one 3D images possessing color variations, wherein detecting water further comprises:

detecting the horizon line in a plurality of the at least one 3D images;

detecting the ground in a plurality of the at least one 3D images;

detecting at least one low texture region with a monochrome intensity above a monochrome intensity threshold on the ground in at least one of the 3D images;

flood filling the low texture regions where the intensity gradient is at an expansion threshold;

fitting each low texture region to an ellipse approximating the outline of a body of water encompassing the low texture regions;

least squares line fitting the pixels in each low texture region in saturation and brightness from certain color levels at varying distance on the ground from the sensor;

filtering out false positives from the candidate water by configuring the processor to avoid detecting the false positives, where the false positives comprise a pixel candidate of water with a non-level slope; and

localizing the detected water by configuring the processor to aggregate water detections, where the processor is further configured to aggregate the water detections by:

aggregating at least one detected water body on an image;

finding an elevation for each detected water body; and

fusing each detected water body to a horizontal plane in a 3D reconstruction of the scene at the elevation.

16. A system for autonomously detecting water bodies within a scene comprising:

a sensor system configured to capture at least one 3D image of a scene, wherein the sensor system is configured to detect visible light and to measure distance from points within the scene to the sensor system; and

a processor configured to:

detect candidate water within the scene by detecting regions of pixels within each of the at least one 3D images that possess at least one characteristic indicative of the presence of water;

filter out the false positives from the candidate water, where the false positives comprise a pixel of candidate water with a non-level slope value; and

localize the detected water by aggregating water detections, where the processor is further configured to aggregate the water detections by:

aggregating at least one detected water body on an image;

finding an elevation for each detected water body; and

fusing each detected water body to a horizontal plane in a 3D reconstruction of the scene at the elevation.