High-fidelity simulation for evaluating robotic vision performance

Robotic vision, unlike computer vision, typically involves processing a stream of images from a camera with time varying pose operating in an environment with time varying lighting conditions and moving objects. Repeating robotic vision experiments under identical conditions is often impossible, making it difficult to compare different algorithms. For machine learning applications a critical bottleneck is the limited amount of real world image data that can be captured and labelled for both training and testing purposes. In this paper we investigate the use of a photo-realistic simulation tool to address these challenges, in three specific domains: robust place recognition, visual SLAM and object recognition. For the first two problems we generate images from a complex 3D environment with systematically varying camera paths, camera viewpoints and lighting conditions. For the first time we are able to systematically characterise the performance of these algorithms as paths and lighting conditions change. In particular, we are able to systematically generate varying camera viewpoint datasets that would be difficult or impossible to generate in the real world. We also compare algorithm results for a camera in a real environment and a simulated camera in a simulation model of that real environment. Finally, for the object recognition domain, we generate labelled image data and characterise the viewpoint dependency of a current convolution neural network in performing object recognition. Together these results provide a multi-domain demonstration of the beneficial properties of using simulation to characterise and analyse a wide range of robotic vision algorithms.