Low data rate remote vehicle driving

Several algorithms that have been implemented as possible candidates for a hybrid video compression system to be used for remote driving of a ground vehicle are described. The algorithms have been implemented on the pipelined image processing engine (PIPE) real-time image processing machine. The PIPE has been integrated with a remote control vehicle system, and the algorithms were evaluated by means of real-world remote driving experiments. These experiments have shown that remote vehicle driving is difficult enough without degrading the imagery through compression algorithms. The degraded imagery makes driving even more difficult. The following difficulties were found in driving in cross country terrain using either the full video or the compressed video: global relative vehicle location is very difficult for the driver to obtain; the orientation of the local ground surface is very difficult to obtain; ditches, gullies, and other obstacles are difficult to distinguish; and the range of objects from the vehicle is difficult to determine. It appears that performing compression by transmitting images at a rate of, at most, a few per second and then providing a realistic video simulation to the operator may be one of the most effective ways of performing video compression.< >