Using stereo vision to pursue moving agents with a mobile robot

To interact effectively with humans, mobile robots will need certain skills. One particularly important skill is the ability to pursue moving agents. To do this, the robot needs a robust visual tracking algorithm and an effective obstacle avoidance algorithm, plus a means of integrating these two behaviors in a seamless manner. In this paper, we introduce the proximity space method as a means for performing real-time, behavior-based control of visual gaze. We then show how this method is integrated with robot motion using an intelligent control architecture that can automatically reconfigure the robot's behaviors in response to environmental changes. The resulting implementation pursues people and other robots around our laboratory for extended periods of time