Auto-Exposure Algorithm for Enhanced Mobile Robot Localization in Challenging Light Conditions

The success of robot localization based on visual odometry (VO) largely depends on the quality of the acquired images. In challenging light conditions, specialized auto-exposure (AE) algorithms that purposely select camera exposure time and gain to maximize the image information can therefore greatly improve localization performance. In this work, an AE algorithm is introduced which, unlike existing algorithms, fully leverages the camera's photometric response function to accurately predict the optimal exposure of future frames. It also features feedback that compensates for prediction inaccuracies due to image saturation and explicitly balances motion blur and image noise effects. For validation, stereo cameras mounted on a custom-built motion table allow different AE algorithms to be benchmarked on the same repeated reference trajectory using the stereo implementation of ORB-SLAM3. Experimental evidence shows that (1) the gradient information metric appropriately serves as a proxy of indirect/feature-based VO performance; (2) the proposed prediction model based on simulated exposure changes is more accurate than using γ transformations; and (3) the overall accuracy of the estimated trajectory achieved using the proposed algorithm equals or surpasses classic exposure control approaches. The source code of the algorithm and all datasets used in this work are shared openly with the robotics community.