Method and apparatus to build 3-dimensional grid map and method and apparatus to control automatic traveling apparatus using the same

1. A method to build a 3-dimensional grid map, comprising:

acquiring one or more peripheral omni-directional images captured at different locations using first and second cameras of a stereo omni-directional camera;

confirming a current 2-dimensional location using the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images;

generating a disparity map of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images;

performing 3-dimensional restoration of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images by using a brightness information of the disparity map; and

building the 3-dimensional grid map of the periphery of the stereo omni-directional camera by combining a result of the 2-dimensional localization and a result of the 3-dimensional restoration,

wherein a degree of occupation of a 3-dimensional grid is obtained using a result of the 3-dimensional restoration, and

wherein if a count occupied by a voxel of the 3-dimensional grid exceeds a prescribed number, a corresponding voxel is determined to be occupied.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the confirming of a 2-dimensional location is performed through 2-dimensional localization and mapping using the omni-directional image.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the confirming of a 2-dimensional location is performed using feature points on an epipolar line of the omni-directional image.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the feature points are obtained by extracting a color edge.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a distance between at least one object included in the images and the stereo omni-directional camera is based on brightness information.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing 3-dimensional restoration includes extracting a 3-dimensional coordinate of the omni-directional image based on a first azimuth of the omni-directional image with respect to the first camera and a second azimuth of the omni-directional image with respect to the second camera.

7. A method to control an automatic traveling apparatus, comprising:

acquiring one or more peripheral omni-directional images captured at different locations using first and second cameras of a stereo omni-directional camera;

confirming a current 2-dimensional location using the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images;

generating a disparity map of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images;

performing 3-dimensional restoration of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images by using a brightness information of the disparity map;

building a 3-dimensional grid map of the periphery of the stereo omni-directional camera by combining a result of the 2-dimensional localization and a result of the 3-dimensional restoration;

determining a traveling path to a target point from a current location based on the 3-dimensional restoration; and

controlling the automatic traveling apparatus to travel to the target point along the traveling path,

wherein a degree of occupation of a 3-dimensional grid is obtained using a result of the 3-dimensional restoration, and

wherein if a count occupied by a voxel of the 3-dimensional grid exceeds a prescribed number, a corresponding voxel is determined to be occupied.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the confirming of a 2-dimensional location is performed through 2-dimensional localization and mapping using the omni-directional image.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the confirming of a 2-dimensional location is performed using feature points on an epipolar line of the omni-directional image.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the feature points are obtained by extracting a color edge.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium to contain computer-readable codes as a program to perform a method to build a 3-dimensional grid map, the method comprising:

acquiring one or more peripheral omni-directional images captured at different locations using first and second cameras of a stereo omni-directional camera;

generating a disparity map of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images;

performing 3-dimensional restoration of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images by using a brightness information of the disparity map;

performing 3-dimensional restoration of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images; and

building the 3-dimensional grid map of the periphery of the stereo omni-directional camera by combining a result of the 2-dimensional localization and a result of the 3-dimensional restoration,

wherein a degree of occupation of a 3-dimensional grid is obtained using a result of the 3-dimensional restoration, and

wherein if a count occupied by a voxel of the 3-dimensional grid exceeds a prescribed number, a corresponding voxel is determined to be occupied.

12. An apparatus to build a 3-dimensional grid map, comprising:

a camera to acquire one or more peripheral omni-directional images captured at different locations using first and second cameras of a stereo omni-directional camera; and

a controller to confirm a current 2-dimensional location using the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images, to generate a disparity map of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images, to perform 3-dimensional restoration of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images by using a brightness information of the disparity map, and to build the 3-dimensional grid map of the periphery of the stereo omni-directional camera by combining a result of the 2-dimensional localization and a result of the 3-dimensional restoration,

wherein a degree of occupation of a 3-dimensional grid is obtained using a result of the 3-dimensional restoration, and

wherein if a count occupied by a voxel of the 3-dimensional grid exceeds a prescribed number, a corresponding voxel is determined to be occupied.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller determines a distance between at least one object included in the images and the stereo omni-directional camera based on a brightness of the at least one object.

14. A traveling apparatus to move along a path, comprising:

a controller to receive one or more peripheral omni-directional images captured at different locations from first and second cameras of a stereo omni-directional camera, to confirm a current 2-dimensional location using the received one or more peripheral omni-directional images, to generate a disparity map of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images, to perform 3-dimensional restoration of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images by using a brightness information of the disparity map, and to build the 3-dimensional grid map of the periphery of the stereo omni-directional camera by combining a result of the 2-dimensional localization and a result of the 3-dimensional restoration; and

a moving device to move a body of the traveling apparatus according to a traveling path with respect to the 3-dimential grid map,

wherein a degree of occupation of a 3-dimensional grid is obtained using a result of the 3-dimensional restoration, and

wherein if a count occupied by a voxel of the 3-dimensional grid exceeds a prescribed number, a corresponding voxel is determined to be occupied.

15. A method to build a 3-dimensional grid map, comprising:

generating a current 2-dimensional location using one or more omni-directional images captured at different locations using first and second cameras of a stereo omni-directional camera;

generating a disparity map of the acquired one or more peripheral omni-directional images;

performing a 3-dimensional restoration of the captured received one or more peripheral omni-directional images by using a brightness information of the disparity map; and

building the 3-dimensional grid map by combining a result of the 2-dimensional localization and a result of the 3-dimensional restoration,

wherein a degree of occupation of a 3-dimensional grid is obtained using a result of the 3-dimensional restoration, and

wherein if a count occupied by a voxel of the 3-dimensional grid exceeds a prescribed number, a corresponding voxel is determined to be occupied.