An area of computer vision

Computer vision

Computer vision is a field that includes methods for acquiring, processing, analysing, and understanding images and, in general, high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information, e.g., in the forms of decisions...

 is active vision, sometimes also called active computer vision. An active vision system is one that can manipulate the viewpoint of the camera(s) in order to investigate the environment and get better information from it.

Examples of active vision systems usually involve a robot mounted camera , but other systems have employed human operator mounted cameras (AKA "wearables"). Applications include automatic surveillance, SLAM

Simultaneous localization and mapping

Simultaneous localization and mapping is a technique used by robots and autonomous vehicles to build up a map within an unknown environment , or to update a map within a known environment , while at the same time keeping track of their current location.- Operational definition :Maps are used...

, route planning , etc. In the DARPA Grand Challenge

DARPA Grand Challenge

The DARPA Grand Challenge is a prize competition for driverless vehicles, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the most prominent research organization of the United States Department of Defense...

 most of the teams used LIDAR

LIDAR

LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...

combined with active vision systems
to guide driverless vehicles across an off road course.

See also

• Active Vision Group at Oxford University.
• Active Vision Laboratory at University of Edinburgh.
• Active Vision Tracking System for MAV developed by University of New South Wales.