Method for detecting objects of the same object type in an image

A method for detecting objects of the same object type in an image, the method comprising the following steps:

• detecting a plurality of objects in the image;
• ascertaining a plurality of object pairs, which, for each object of the plurality of objects, includes a respective object pair with each other object of the plurality of objects;
• ascertaining a plurality of similarity values by ascertaining, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, a respective similarity value, which represents a similarity between a first object of the object pair and a second object of the object pair according to a similarity metric, wherein, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, the ascertainment of the respective similarity value includes:
• ascertaining a plurality of first feature vectors by ascertaining a respective first feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the first object,
• ascertaining a plurality of second feature vectors by ascertaining a respective second feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the second object, and
• ascertaining the respective similarity value using the plurality of first feature vectors and the plurality of second feature vectors;
• and
• grouping, using the plurality of similarity values, the plurality of objects into multiple groups, at least one group of which contains multiple objects of the same object type.

A method for controlling a robot device, the method comprising the following steps:

• capturing an image showing a plurality of objects in an environment of the robot device, of which multiple objects have the same object type;
• detecting the multiple objects of the same object type by performing the following:
• detecting the plurality of objects in the image,
• ascertaining a plurality of object pairs, which, for each object of the plurality of objects, includes a respective object pair with each other object of the plurality of objects,
• ascertaining a plurality of similarity values by ascertaining, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, a respective similarity value, which represents a similarity between a first object of the object pair and a second object of the object pair according to a similarity metric, wherein, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, the ascertainment of the respective similarity value includes:
• ascertaining a plurality of first feature vectors by ascertaining a respective first feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the first object,
• ascertaining a plurality of second feature vectors by ascertaining a respective second feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the second object, and
• ascertaining the respective similarity value using the plurality of first feature vectors and the plurality of second feature vectors, and
• grouping, using the plurality of similarity values, the plurality of objects into multiple groups, at least one group of which contains multiple objects of the same object type;
• and
• controlling the robot device to pick up an object of the multiple objects.

A control device configured to control a robot device, the control device configured to perform the following steps comprising:

• capturing an image showing a plurality of objects in an environment of the robot device, of which multiple objects have the same object type;
• detecting the multiple objects of the same object type by performing the following:
• detecting the plurality of objects in the image,
• ascertaining a plurality of object pairs, which, for each object of the plurality of objects, includes a respective object pair with each other object of the plurality of objects,
• ascertaining a plurality of similarity values by ascertaining, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, a respective similarity value, which represents a similarity between a first object of the object pair and a second object of the object pair according to a similarity metric, wherein, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, the ascertainment of the respective similarity value includes:
• ascertaining a plurality of first feature vectors by ascertaining a respective first feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the first object,
• ascertaining a plurality of second feature vectors by ascertaining a respective second feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the second object, and
• ascertaining the respective similarity value using the plurality of first feature vectors and the plurality of second feature vectors, and
• grouping, using the plurality of similarity values, the plurality of objects into multiple groups, at least one group of which contains multiple objects of the same object type;
• and
• controlling the robot device to pick up an object of the multiple objects.

A robot device, comprising

• a control device configured to control the robot device, the control device configured to perform the following steps including:
• capturing an image showing a plurality of objects in an environment of the robot device, of which multiple objects have the same object type;
• detecting the multiple objects of the same object type by performing the following:
• detecting a plurality of objects in the image,
• ascertaining a plurality of object pairs, which, for each object of the plurality of objects, includes a respective object pair with each other object of the plurality of objects,
• ascertaining a plurality of similarity values by ascertaining, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, a respective similarity value, which represents a similarity between a first object of the object pair and a second object of the object pair according to a similarity metric, wherein, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, the ascertainment of the respective similarity value includes:
• ascertaining a plurality of first feature vectors by ascertaining a respective first feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the first object,
• ascertaining a plurality of second feature vectors by ascertaining a respective second feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the second object, and
• ascertaining the respective similarity value using the plurality of first feature vectors and the plurality of second feature vectors, and
• grouping, using the plurality of similarity values, the plurality of objects into multiple groups, at least one group of which contains multiple objects of the same object type;
• and
• controlling the robot device to pick up an object of the multiple objects.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored commands for controlling a robot device, the commands, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the following steps:

• capturing an image showing a plurality of objects in an environment of the robot device, of which multiple objects have the same object type;
• detecting the multiple objects of the same object type by performing the following:
• detecting a plurality of objects in the image,
• ascertaining a plurality of object pairs, which, for each object of the plurality of objects, includes a respective object pair with each other object of the plurality of objects,
• ascertaining a plurality of similarity values by ascertaining, for each object pair of the plurality of object pairs, a respective similarity value, which represents a similarity between a first object of the object pair and a second object of the object pair according to a similarity metric, wherein the ascertainment of the respective similarity value includes:
• ascertaining a plurality of first feature vectors by ascertaining a respective first feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the first object,
• ascertaining a plurality of second feature vectors by ascertaining a respective second feature vector for multiple pixels of the image that are associated with the second object, and
• ascertaining the respective similarity value using the plurality of first feature vectors and the plurality of second feature vectors, and
• grouping, using the plurality of similarity values, the plurality of objects into multiple groups, at least one group of which contains multiple objects of the same object type;
• and
• controlling the robot device to pick up an object of the multiple objects.