Monocular Vision-Based Swarm Robot Localization Using Equilateral Triangular Formations

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel monocular vision-based localization method for swarm robots using equilateral triangular formations, achieving higher accuracy in open spaces without external infrastructure.

Contribution

The work introduces a geometric approach leveraging equilateral triangles for accurate 2D localization with low-cost monocular sensors in swarm robotics.

Findings

Positioning error decreases over time compared to dead-reckoning.

Method works reliably in open environments without landmarks.

Experimental results validate improved accuracy.

Abstract

Localization of mobile robots is crucial for deploying robots in real-world applications such as search and rescue missions. This work aims to develop an accurate localization system applicable to swarm robots equipped only with low-cost monocular vision sensors and visual markers. The system is designed to operate in fully open spaces, without landmarks or support from positioning infrastructures. To achieve this, we propose a localization method based on equilateral triangular formations. By leveraging the geometric properties of equilateral triangles, the accurate two-dimensional position of each participating robot is estimated using one-dimensional lateral distance information between robots, which can be reliably and accurately obtained with a low-cost monocular vision sensor. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate that, as travel time increases, the positioning error of the proposed method becomes significantly smaller than that of a conventional dead-reckoning system, another low-cost localization approach applicable to open environments.