Linear Combinations of Optic Flow Vectors for Estimating Self-Motion - a Real-World Test of a Neural Model

Part of Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 15 (NIPS 2002)

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Authors

Matthias Franz, Javaan Chahl

Abstract

The tangential neurons in the fly brain are sensitive to the typical optic flow patterns generated during self-motion. In this study, we examine whether a simplified linear model of these neurons can be used to esti- mate self-motion from the optic flow. We present a theory for the con- struction of an estimator consisting of a linear combination of optic flow vectors that incorporates prior knowledge both about the distance distri- bution of the environment, and about the noise and self-motion statistics of the sensor. The estimator is tested on a gantry carrying an omnidirec- tional vision sensor. The experiments show that the proposed approach leads to accurate and robust estimates of rotation rates, whereas transla- tion estimates turn out to be less reliable.