Mobile robot localization in industrial environments using a ring of cameras and ArUco markers

Abstract

Localization of mobile robots in industrial environments is key in an increasingly automated industry. Nowadays, the inspection and repair of heavy steel plates is performed by human workers. Repair work often requires long hours in uncomfortable postures that can cause problems for the worker. We propose a mobile robot placed on top of a steel plate that must move along the plate to inspect and repair it, without leaving the sheet. Robot localization on the plate is key to generate the inspection and repair trajectories.There are different methods of localization, the most widely used require the use of expensive laser sensors to create a map using information from the environment and localize from it. This paper proposes a less expensive localization system for a mobile robot based on the installation of ArUco markers in the environment and the use of a ring of 8 calibrated cameras mounted on the robot that allow a 360° vision. This ensures a correct localization regardless of the working area. It is necessary to map the markers with respect to a common coordinate system.We propose a method to create the map using the ring. We validate the proposal through experiments comparing the localization obtained with the proposed system and a localization using a state-of-the-art SLAM method employing laser sensors.