Stereo Vision Based Navigation of Four-Legged Robot Through Unknown Terrain

Hamza Masud; Arslan Khalid; Tayybah Kiren; Dr. Syed Wasif Muhammad; Zubair Mehmood; Muhammad Jehanzeb Irshad; Muhammad Waqas Jabbar; Nazam Siddique

Authors

Hamza Masud Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan.
Arslan Khalid Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan.
Tayybah Kiren Departnment of Computer Science (RECT), University of Engineering and Technology Lahore Pakistan.
Dr. Syed Wasif Muhammad Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan.
Zubair Mehmood Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan.
Muhammad Jehanzeb Irshad Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan.
Muhammad Waqas Jabbar Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan.
Nazam Siddique Intelligent Systems Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan.

Keywords:

Quadruped Robot, Disparity Map, Stereo Vision, Depth Map, 3D Point Cloud, Inverse Kinematics, Bezier Curve

Abstract

This research aims to develop a stereo vision-based navigation system for a quadruped robot, enabling it to move autonomously through rough, unfamiliar terrain and detect blockages in sewer pipelines. The robot uses a stereo camera to capture images, which are then processed to create disparity maps and 3D point clouds. These tools help the robot identify and avoid obstacles. Image rectification and 3D mapping are performed using OpenCV, which generates an occupancy grid to distinguish between free and occupied spaces. Based on this grid, the A* algorithm is used to plan the robot's path. To ensure smooth movement, inverse kinematics calculates the required motor angles and applies predefined Bezier curves for stable locomotion.

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