Visual map‐less navigation based on homographies

We introduce a method for autonomous robot navigation based on homographies computed between the current image and images taken in a previous teaching phase with a monocular vision system. The features used to estimate the homography are vertical lines automatically extracted and matched. From homography, the underlying motion correction between the reference path and the current robot location is computed. The proposed method, which uses a sole calibration parameter, has turned out to be especially useful to correct heading and lateral displacement, which are critical in systems based on odometry. We have tested the proposal in simulation, and with real images. Besides, the visual system has been integrated into an autonomous wheelchair for handicapped, working in real time with robustness. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.