Control apparatus, object detection system, object detection method and program

An object detection system comprising:

• a sensor configured to measure surroundings in a 3D environment;
• and
• a control apparatus configured to detect a target object to be detected by controlling the sensor,
• wherein the control apparatus comprises:
• hardware, including at least one memory configured to store a computer program and at least one processor configured to execute the computer program;
• an object recognition unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to recognize the target object present in the 3D environment by using measurement data acquired from the sensor;
• an information generation unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to generate 3D environmental information indicating each point on an object present in the 3D environment by integrating a plurality of measurement data;
• a position determination unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to determine an optimal position of the sensor for performing next measurement;
• and
• a sensor control unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to move the sensor to the determined optimal position, and
• wherein the position determination unit determines, by using the 3D environmental information, a position of the sensor where the sensor can take an image in which a size of an area shielded by at least one first object is larger as the optimal position, the at least one first object being the target object recognized by the object recognition unit.

An object detection method for detecting a target object to be detected by controlling a sensor configured to measure surroundings in a 3D environment, comprising:

• recognizing the target object present in the 3D environment by using measurement data acquired from the sensor;
• generating 3D environmental information indicating each point on an object present in the 3D environment by integrating a plurality of measurement data;
• determining, by using the 3D environmental information, a position of the sensor where the sensor can take an image in which a size of an area shielded by at least one first object is larger as an optimal position of the sensor for performing next measurement, the at least one first object being the recognized target object;
• and
• moving the sensor to the determined optimal position.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for performing an object detection method in which a target object to be detected is detect by controlling a sensor configured to measure surroundings in a 3D environment, the program being adapted to cause a computer to perform:

• recognizing the target object present in the 3D environment by using measurement data acquired from the sensor;
• generating 3D environmental information indicating each point on an object present in the 3D environment by integrating a plurality of measurement data;
• determining, by using the 3D environmental information, a position of the sensor where the sensor can take an image in which a size of an area shielded by at least one first object is larger as an optimal position of the sensor for performing next measurement, the at least one first object being the recognized target object;
• and
• moving the sensor to the determined optimal position.