Sensor control device, object search system, object search method, and program

An object search system, comprising:

• a sensor configured to search for a target object to be searched for in a three-dimensional environment;
• and a sensor control device configured to control the sensor, the sensor control device comprising:
• hardware, including at least one memory configured to store a computer program and at least one processor configured to execute the computer program;
• a three-dimensional environmental information acquisition unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to acquire three-dimensional environmental information indicating each point on an object present in the three-dimensional environment;
• a region detection unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to detect a placement region where the target object is placed by using the three-dimensional environmental information;
• a calculation unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to calculate a size of the placement region in at least one image data representing an image including the placement region;
• a position determination unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to determine, among a plurality of sensor positions where the sensor photographing an image related to the image data can be placed, a sensor position where the placement region is larger than the placement region in the case of using image data of another sensor position, as an optimal position;
• and
• a sensor position control unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to perform control, when a search for the target object is made after the optimal position has been determined, so as to move the sensor to the optimal position and then start the search for the target object.

An object search method for searching for a target object to be searched for in a three-dimensional environment, comprising:

• acquiring three-dimensional environmental information indicating each point on an object present in the three-dimensional environment;
• detecting a placement region where the target object is placed by using the three-dimensional environmental information;
• calculating a size of the placement region in at least one image data representing an image including the placement region;
• determining, among a plurality of sensor positions where the sensor photographing an image related to the image data can be placed, a sensor position where the placement region is larger than the placement region in the case of using image data of another sensor position, as an optimal position;
• and
• controlling the sensor, when a search for the target object is made after the optimal position has been determined, so as to move the sensor to the optimal position and then start the search for the target object.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for performing an object search method in which a target object to be searched for is searched for in a three-dimensional environment, the program being adapted to cause a computer to perform:

• acquiring three-dimensional environmental information indicating each point on an object present in the three-dimensional environment;
• detecting a placement region where the target object is placed by using the three-dimensional environmental information;
• calculating a size of the placement region in at least one image data representing an image including the placement region;
• determining, among a plurality of sensor positions where the sensor photographing an image related to the image data can be placed, a sensor position where the placement region is larger than the placement region in the case of using image data of another sensor position, as an optimal position;
• and
• controlling the sensor, when a search for the target object is made after the optimal position has been determined, so as to move the sensor to the optimal position and then start the search for the target object.