Patent ID: 7386163

Claim:
An obstacle recognition apparatus comprising: a distance image producing means for producing a distance image on the basis of a disparity image calculated based on image data supplied from a plurality of imaging means provided in a robot apparatus and sensor data outputs from a plurality of sensing means provided in the robot apparatus and using a homogeneous transform matrix corresponding to the disparity image at locations of the plurality of imaging means; a plane detecting means for detecting plane parameters on the basis of the distance image produced by the distance image producing means; a coordinate transforming means for transforming a coordinate system at the locations of the plurality of imaging means into a one on the floor surface; a floor surface detecting means for detecting the floor surface on the basis of the plane parameters detected by the plane detecting means; and an obstacle recognizing means for selecting a point on the floor surface using the plane parameters supplied from the plane detecting means to recognize an obstacle on the basis of the selected point, wherein the obstacle recognizing means uses the plane parameters of the floor surface detected by the floor surface detecting means to recognize an obstacle.