Towards Robust Localization Deep Feature Extraction by CNN

Robust localization is a fundamental capability to increase the autonomy levels of robotic platforms. A core processing step in vision based odometry methods is the extraction and tracking of distinctive features in the image frame. Nevertheless, when deploying robots in challenging environments like underground tunnels, the sensor measurements are noisy with lack of information due to low light conditions, introducing a bottleneck for feature detection methods. This paper proposes a deep classifier Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture to retain detailed and noise tolerant feature maps from RBG images, establishing a novel feature tracking scheme in the context of localization. The proposed method is feeding the RGB image into the AlexNet or VGG-16 network and extracts a feature map at a specific layer. This feature map consists of feature points which are then paired between frames resulting in a discrete vector field of feature change. Finally, the proposed method is evaluated with RGB camera footage of the Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) flights in dark underground mines and the performance is compared with existing feature extraction methods, while the noise is added to the images.