title: Real time corner detection for miniaturized electro-optical sensors onboard small unmanned aerial systems.
abstract: This paper describes the target detection algorithm for the image processor of a vision-based system that is installed onboard an unmanned helicopter. It has been developed in the framework of a project of the French national aerospace research center Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA) which aims at developing an air-to-ground target tracking mission in an unknown urban environment. In particular, the image processor must detect targets and estimate ground motion in proximity of the detected target position. Concerning the target detection function, the analysis has dealt with realizing a corner detection algorithm and selecting the best choices in terms of edge detection methods, filtering size and type and the more suitable criterion of detection of the points of interest in order to obtain a very fast algorithm which fulfills the computation load requirements. The compared criteria are the Harris-Stephen and the Shi-Tomasi, ones, which are the most widely used in literature among those based on intensity. Experimental results which illustrate the performance of the developed algorithm and demonstrate that the detection time is fully compliant with the requirements of the real-time system are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aerospace Engineering (DIAS), University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, Naples I80125, Italy. lidia.forlenza@unina.it
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forlenza
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carton
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Accardo
authors.forename: Giancarmine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fasano
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moccia
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003199:Computer Systems; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008904:Miniaturization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016011:Normal Distribution; D055096:Optical Devices; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors