Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-Free

Indoor localization is one of the fundamentals of location-based services (LBS) such as seamless indoor and outdoor navigation, location-based precision marketing, spatial cognition of robotics, etc. Visual features take up a dominant part of the information that helps human and robotics understand...

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Main Authors: Yujin Chen, Ruizhi Chen, Mengyun Liu, Aoran Xiao, Dewen Wu, Shuheng Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-08-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/8/2692
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author Yujin Chen
Ruizhi Chen
Mengyun Liu
Aoran Xiao
Dewen Wu
Shuheng Zhao
author_facet Yujin Chen
Ruizhi Chen
Mengyun Liu
Aoran Xiao
Dewen Wu
Shuheng Zhao
author_sort Yujin Chen
collection DOAJ
description Indoor localization is one of the fundamentals of location-based services (LBS) such as seamless indoor and outdoor navigation, location-based precision marketing, spatial cognition of robotics, etc. Visual features take up a dominant part of the information that helps human and robotics understand the environment, and many visual localization systems have been proposed. However, the problem of indoor visual localization has not been well settled due to the tough trade-off of accuracy and cost. To better address this problem, a localization method based on image retrieval is proposed in this paper, which mainly consists of two parts. The first one is CNN-based image retrieval phase, CNN features extracted by pre-trained deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) from images are utilized to compare the similarity, and the output of this part are the matched images of the target image. The second one is pose estimation phase that computes accurate localization result. Owing to the robust CNN feature extractor, our scheme is applicable to complex indoor environments and easily transplanted to outdoor environments. The pose estimation scheme was inspired by monocular visual odometer, therefore, only RGB images and poses of reference images are needed for accurate image geo-localization. Furthermore, our method attempts to use lightweight datum to present the scene. To evaluate the performance, experiments are conducted, and the result demonstrates that our scheme can efficiently result in high location accuracy as well as orientation estimation. Currently the positioning accuracy and usability enhanced compared with similar solutions. Furthermore, our idea has a good application foreground, because the algorithms of data acquisition and pose estimation are compatible with the current state of data expansion.
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spelling doaj.art-73c15270a21a4d42978e84515d6431ea2022-12-22T02:57:35ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202018-08-01188269210.3390/s18082692s18082692Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-FreeYujin Chen0Ruizhi Chen1Mengyun Liu2Aoran Xiao3Dewen Wu4Shuheng Zhao5State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaIndoor localization is one of the fundamentals of location-based services (LBS) such as seamless indoor and outdoor navigation, location-based precision marketing, spatial cognition of robotics, etc. Visual features take up a dominant part of the information that helps human and robotics understand the environment, and many visual localization systems have been proposed. However, the problem of indoor visual localization has not been well settled due to the tough trade-off of accuracy and cost. To better address this problem, a localization method based on image retrieval is proposed in this paper, which mainly consists of two parts. The first one is CNN-based image retrieval phase, CNN features extracted by pre-trained deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) from images are utilized to compare the similarity, and the output of this part are the matched images of the target image. The second one is pose estimation phase that computes accurate localization result. Owing to the robust CNN feature extractor, our scheme is applicable to complex indoor environments and easily transplanted to outdoor environments. The pose estimation scheme was inspired by monocular visual odometer, therefore, only RGB images and poses of reference images are needed for accurate image geo-localization. Furthermore, our method attempts to use lightweight datum to present the scene. To evaluate the performance, experiments are conducted, and the result demonstrates that our scheme can efficiently result in high location accuracy as well as orientation estimation. Currently the positioning accuracy and usability enhanced compared with similar solutions. Furthermore, our idea has a good application foreground, because the algorithms of data acquisition and pose estimation are compatible with the current state of data expansion.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/8/2692indoor positioningimage geo-localizationimage retrievalCNN featurespose estimation
spellingShingle Yujin Chen
Ruizhi Chen
Mengyun Liu
Aoran Xiao
Dewen Wu
Shuheng Zhao
Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-Free
Sensors
indoor positioning
image geo-localization
image retrieval
CNN features
pose estimation
title Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-Free
title_full Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-Free
title_fullStr Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-Free
title_full_unstemmed Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-Free
title_short Indoor Visual Positioning Aided by CNN-Based Image Retrieval: Training-Free, 3D Modeling-Free
title_sort indoor visual positioning aided by cnn based image retrieval training free 3d modeling free
topic indoor positioning
image geo-localization
image retrieval
CNN features
pose estimation
url http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/8/2692
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AT ruizhichen indoorvisualpositioningaidedbycnnbasedimageretrievaltrainingfree3dmodelingfree
AT mengyunliu indoorvisualpositioningaidedbycnnbasedimageretrievaltrainingfree3dmodelingfree
AT aoranxiao indoorvisualpositioningaidedbycnnbasedimageretrievaltrainingfree3dmodelingfree
AT dewenwu indoorvisualpositioningaidedbycnnbasedimageretrievaltrainingfree3dmodelingfree
AT shuhengzhao indoorvisualpositioningaidedbycnnbasedimageretrievaltrainingfree3dmodelingfree