A review of algorithms and techniques for image-based recognition and inference in mobile robotic systems

Autonomous vehicles include driverless, self-driving and robotic cars, and other platforms capable of sensing and interacting with its environment and navigating without human help. On the other hand, semiautonomous vehicles achieve partial realization of autonomy with human intervention, for example, in driver-assisted vehicles. Autonomous vehicles first interact with their surrounding using mounted sensors. Typically, visual sensors are used to acquire images, and computer vision techniques, signal processing, machine learning, and other techniques are applied to acquire, process, and extract information. The control subsystem interprets sensory information to identify appropriate navigation path to its destination and action plan to carry out tasks. Feedbacks are also elicited from the environment to improve upon its behavior. To increase sensing accuracy, autonomous vehicles are equipped with many sensors [light detection and ranging (LiDARs), infrared, sonar, inertial measurement units, etc.], as well as communication subsystem. Autonomous vehicles face several challenges such as unknown environments, blind spots (unseen views), non-line-of-sight scenarios, poor performance of sensors due to weather conditions, sensor errors, false alarms, limited energy, limited computational resources, algorithmic complexity, human-machine communications, size, and weight constraints. To tackle these problems, several algorithmic approaches have been implemented covering design of sensors, processing, control, and navigation. The review seeks to provide up-to-date information on the requirements, algorithms, and main challenges in the use of machine vision-based techniques for navigation and control in autonomous vehicles. An application using land-based vehicle as an Internet of Thing-enabled platform for pedestrian detection and tracking is also presented.