Abstract: A localization method of a moving robot is disclosed in which the moving robot includes: capturing a first omni-directional image by the moving robot; confirming at least one node at which a second omni-directional image having a high correlation with the first omni-directional image is captured; and determining that the moving robot is located at the first node when the moving robot reaches a first node, at which a second omni-directional image having a highest correlation with the first omni-directional image is captured, from among the at least one node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to build a 3-dimensional grid map and a method and apparatus to control an automatic traveling apparatus using the same. In building a 3-dimensional map to discern a current location and a peripheral environment of an unmanned vehicle or a mobile robot, 2-dimensional localization and 3-dimensional image restoration are appropriately used to accurately build the 3-dimensional grid map more rapidly.

Abstract: An X-ray apparatus includes guide rails arranged along different axes, an X-ray tube movably mounted on at least one of the guide rails and adapted to be moved upon user force, motors provided at the guide rails to move the X-ray tube, a force detection unit to detect the user force, and a control unit to determine a direction of force and drive the motor provided at the guide rail on an axis corresponding to the determined direction. The X-ray apparatus may be easily moved based on force detection and velocity control of the motor, thereby achieving more precise and safe movement in a desired direction. Accordingly, the X-ray apparatus may provide rapid and efficient medical examination and treatment in hospitals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for extracting feature points using hierarchical image segmentation and an image based localization method using the extracted feature points. An image is segmented using an affinity degree obtained using information observed during position estimation, new feature points are extracted from segmented areas in which registered feature points are not included, and position estimation is performed based on the new feature points. Accordingly, stable and reliable localization may be performed.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for searching for a feature point by use of a depth image and a method thereof are provided. The image processing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input a three-dimensional image having depth information, a feature point extraction unit configured to obtain a designated point from an object image extracted from the depth image to obtain a feature point that is located at a substantially farthest distance from the designated point, and to obtain other feature points that are located at substantially farthest distances from feature points that are previously obtained as well as the designated point. The apparatus includes a control unit configured to control the input unit and the feature point extraction unit so that time in estimating a structure of the object is reduced, and a recognition result is enhanced.

Abstract: A robot one of transfers an article to an external subject and receives the article from the human subject and flexibly copes with changes in human intention. If a pushing force applied to robot hands is sensed, the robot hands grip and pull the article to inform the external subject that the robot hands are prepared to receive the article from the external subject, and transfers the article to the external subject or takes the article from the external subject according to whether the pushing force or a pulling force applied to the robot hands is sensed. If the pulling force applied to a robot hands is sensed, the robot pushes the article to inform the external subject that the robot hands are prepared to transfer the article to the external subject, and transfers the article to the external subject or takes the article from the external subject according to whether the pushing force or the pulling force applied to the robot hands is sensed.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for pose recognition, the method for pose recognition including generating a model of a human body in a virtual space, predicting a next pose of the model of the human body based on a state vector having an angle and an angular velocity of each part of the human body as a state variable, predicting a depth image about the predicted pose, and recognizing a pose of a human in a depth image captured in practice, based on a similarity between the predicted depth image and the depth image captured in practice, wherein the next pose is predicted based on the state vector having an angular velocity as a state variable, thereby reducing the number of pose samples to be generated and improving the pose recognition speed.

Abstract: An image-based localization feature point registration apparatus includes a camera to capture an image, a feature point extractor to extract a feature point from the captured image, a calculator to calculate depth information about the feature point according to whether the feature point is one of two-dimensional (2D) and a three-dimensional (3D) corner, and a feature point register to register 3D coordinates of the feature point based on the depth information about the feature point and image coordinates of the feature point.

Abstract: An finite state machine (FSM)-based biped walking robot, to which a limit cycle is applied to balance the robot right and left on a two-dimensional space, and a method of controlling balance of the robot. In order to balance an FSM-based biped walking robot right and left on a two-dimensional space, control angles to balance the robot according to states of the FSM-based biped walking robot are set, and the control angles are controlled using a sinusoidal function to allow relations between the control angles and control angular velocities to form a stable closed loop within a limit cycle, thereby allowing the biped walking robot to balance itself while changing its supporting foot and thus to safely walk without falling down.

Abstract: A finite state machine (FSM)-based biped robot, to which a limit cycle is applied to balance the robot right and left on a two-dimensional space, and a method of controlling balance of the robot. In order to balance an FSM-based biped robot right and left on a two-dimensional space, control angles to balance the robot according to states of the FSM-based biped robot are set. The range of the control angles is restricted to reduce the maximum right and left moving distance of the biped robot and thus to reduce the maximum right and left moving velocity of the biped robot, thereby reducing the sum total of the moments of the biped robot and thus allowing the ankles of the biped robot to balance the biped robot to be controlled, and causing the soles of the feet of the biped robot to parallel contact the ground.

Abstract: A method to determine the location of a robot using an omni-directional image, the method including acquiring an omni-directional image from a robot, extracting a predetermined current line from the acquired omni-directional image, calculating a correlation coefficient between the extracted current line of the robot and each landmark line of pre-stored nodes using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and performing a stochastic approach method of a particle filtering process on a basis of the calculated correlation coefficient to recognize a location of the robot.

Abstract: A path planning apparatus of a robot smoothes a motion path while satisfying a constraint. In a configuration space where a manipulator of a robot performs a task, a Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) path which extends from a start point and reaches a goal point may be smoothed while satisfying a constraint to generate a stable motion path. Accordingly, path planning performance is improved and an optimal path satisfying a kinematic constraint may be rapidly obtained.

Abstract: A volume cell (VOXEL) map generation apparatus includes an inertia measurement unit to calculate inertia information by calculating inertia of a volume cell (VOXEL) map generator, a Time of Flight (TOF) camera to capture an image of an object, thereby generating a depth image of the object and a black-and-white image of the object, an estimation unit to calculate position and posture information of the VOXEL map generator by performing an Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm on the basis of the depth image of the object, and to recursively estimate a position and posture of the VOXEL map generator on the basis of VOXEL map generator inertia information calculated by the inertia measurement unit and VOXEL map generator position and posture information calculated by the ICP algorithm, and a grid map construction unit to configure a grid map based on the recursively estimated VOXEL map generator position and posture.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of generating a hip trajectory of a biped walking robot to allow the robot to stably walk on a two-dimensional space without falling down. An angular velocity of a hip of a swinging leg is obtained by measuring the angle/angular velocity of an ankle pitch joint part of a supporting leg in real time when the robot walks on the two-dimensional space, and desired trajectories of the ankle and the hip are generated based on the angular velocity of the ankle of the supporting leg and the angular velocity of the hip of the swinging leg.

Abstract: Two-dimensional image information and three-dimensional image information of a subject are acquired, facial recognition is performed using the two-dimensional image information to determine whether a recognized face is a registered user's face, an elliptical model of the user is matched to the three-dimensional image information to calculate an error if it is determined that the recognized face is the user's face, and it is determined whether the user's face is improperly used based on the error. The subject's face is determined using the two-dimensional image information and the three-dimensional image information of the subject and it is determined whether the recognized face is improperly used, thereby improving facial recognition reliability. Thus, information security is improved.

Abstract: Disclosed are a robot arm having high back-drivability to interact with a human being, which is safely stopped, and a method of controlling the robot arm. When the operation of the robot arm having high back-drivability to interact with a human being is converted into a safety mode due to the occurrence of an emergency, in which the operation of the robot arm is stopped, only a torque having a degree to compensate for gravity applied to the robot arm, i.e., only a torque to maintain the kinematical position of the current state of the robot arm without falling of the robot arm due to gravity, is outputted to control the robot arm as if the robot arm is in a weightless state, thus being capable of safely stopping the robot arm.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of building a map of a mobile platform moving in a dynamic environment and detecting an object using a 3D camera sensor, e.g., an IR TOF camera sensor, for localization. A localization technology to separate and map a dynamic object and a static object is applied to a mobile platform, such as an unmanned vehicle or a mobile robot. Consequently, the present method is capable of accurately building map information based on the static object in a dynamic environment having a large number of dynamic objects and achieving a dynamic object avoidance or chasing function using position information acquired to build the map.

Abstract: A method of separating an object in a three dimension point cloud including acquiring a three dimension point cloud image on an object using an image acquirer, eliminating an outlier from the three dimension point cloud image using a controller, eliminating a plane surface area from the three dimension point cloud image, of which the outlier has been eliminated using the controller, and clustering points of an individual object from the three dimension point cloud image, of which the plane surface area has been eliminated using the controller.

Abstract: A manipulator and a method of generating the shortest path along which the manipulator moves to grip an object without collision with the object models a target object and a gripper into a spherical shape, measures a current position of the gripper and a position of the target object and a target position of the gripper, calculates an arc-shaped path in a two-dimensional plane along which the gripper needs to move by calculating an included angle of a triangle consisting of the position of the object and the current position and target position of the gripper, transforms the arc-shaped path in the two-dimensional plane into an arc-shaped path in a three-dimensional space using a transform matrix consisting of the position of the object and the current position and target position of the gripper, thereby automatically generating the shortest path of the manipulator.

Abstract: A path planning apparatus and method of a robot, in which a path, along which the robot accesses an object to grasp the object, is planned. The path planning method includes judging whether or not a robot hand of a robot collides with an obstacle when the robot hand moves along one access path candidate selected from plural access path candidates along which the robot hand accesses an object to grasp the object, calculating an access score of the selected access path candidate when the robot hand does not collide with the obstacle, and determining an access path plan using the access score of the selected access path candidate.