Omnidirectional vision sensor for fast tracking for mobile robots

We present an omnidirectional vision system we have implemented to provide our mobile robot (Polyphemus - the one with only one eye) with a fast tracking capability. Polyphemus has to recognize elements in a semi-structured environment (the soccer field of Robocup) at a rate close to 20 Hz. We have designed a multi-shaped mirror to optimize the resolution of the image and its vertical coverage. The interpretation system is based on focused, multi-level, and opportunistic procedures