Adaptive Image Processing Methods for Outdoor Autonomous Vehicles

This paper concerns adaptive image processing for visual teach-and-repeat navigation systems of autonomous vehicles operating outdoors. The robustness and the accuracy of these systems rely on their ability to extract relevant information from the on-board camera images, which is then used for the autonomous navigation and the map building. In this paper, we present methods that allow an image-based navigation system to adapt to a varying appearance of outdoor environments caused by dynamic illumination conditions and naturally occurring environment changes. In the performed experiments, we demonstrate that the adaptive and the learning methods for camera parameter control, image feature extraction and environment map refinement allow autonomous vehicles to operate in real, changing world for extended periods of time.