2013 13th International Conference on Control, Automation and Systems (lCCAS 2013)

Oct. 20-23, 2013 in Kimdaejung Convention Center, Gwangju, Korea

Scale-Invariant Isotropy of an Optical Mouse Array for Mobile Robot Velocity Estimation
Sungbok Kim, Geunhyung Lim, and Hyungjin Kim
Dept. of Digital Information Eng., Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korea
(TEL: +82-31-330-4091, E-mail: sbkim@hufs.ac.kr)
Abstract: This paper presents the scale-invariant isotropy analysis of an optical mouse array for the mobile
robot velocity estimation. First, with the characteristic length introduced, the velocity kinematics of a mobile
robot with optical mice is described. Then, the uncertainty ellipsoid is obtained to represent the error
characteristics of the optical mouse based mobile robot velocity estimation, and the isotropy index is defined
as the closeness of the uncertainty ellipsoid to a sphere. Next, using the defined isotropy index, the
conditions for the anisotropic, isotropic, and regular optical mouse arrays are derived in terms of the
installation positions of optical mice, along with the corresponding characteristic lengths.
Keywords:

Optical mice, mobile robot, velocity estimation, scale-invariant isotropy.

1. INTRODUCTION

Yw

An optical mouse was originally invented as an

advanced computer pointing device, which is an
inexpensive but high performance motion detection
sensor with a sophisticated image processing engine
inside. Optical mice installed at the bottom of a
mobile robot can detect motions over a plane floor,
from which the velocity of a mobile robot can
estimated [1-6]. An optical mouse suffers from
random noises in velocity measurement, which will
affect the accuracy of mobile robot velocity
estimation. Using the redundant number of optical
mice, the effect of noisy velocity measurements can
be reduced significantly. With the same number of
optical mice, the accuracy of mobile robot velocity
estimation also depends on the installation locations
of optical mice.
To characterize the mobile robot velocity
estimation from noisy optical mouse measurements,
the so-called uncertainty ellipsoid can be defmed.
The uncertainty ellipsoid is an ellipsoid in the
mobile robot velocity space mapped from the unit
sphere in the optical mouse velocity space through
the Jacobian matrix of the velocity kinematics. Note
that the shape and orientation of the uncertainty
ellipsoid changes according to the installation
positlons of optical mice. For the optimal placement
of optical mice, one can minimize the volume of
the uncertainty ellipsoid, or maximize its closeness
to a sphere, so-called the isotropy. The measure of
isotropy has been adopted for the optimal design of
serial and parallel manipulators [7-11], as well as,
omnidirectional mobile robots [12, 13].
Tn this paper, we present the scale-invariant
isotropy analysis of an optical mouse array for the
mobile robot velocity estimation. This paper is
organized as follows. With the introduction of the
characteristic length, Section 2 describes the
velocity kinematics of a mobile robot with optical
mice. Section 3 obtains the uncertainty ellipsoid to
represent the error characteristics of the mobile
robot velocity estimation, and defines the isotropy

978-89-93215-05-295560/13/$15 @rCROS

YR
Yi

II

/(; 0
rpi

Xi

Ow OR

XR
Xw

Mobile robot

Fig. 1. Three coordinate frames for a mobile robot

and the ith optical mouse.
index as the closeness of the uncertainty ellipsoid
to a sphere. Using the defined isotropy index,
Sections 4, 5, and 6 derive the geometrical
conditions for the anisotropic, isotropic, and regular
optical mouse arrays, along with the corresponding
characteristic lengths. Finally, the conclusion is
made in Section 7.
2. VELOCITY KINEMATICS

The velocity of a mobile robot traveling on a

plane can be estimated using the velocity
measurements from an array of N(:::o- 2) optical mice
installed at the bottom of a mobile robot. Fig. 1
shows three coordinate frames used for the
description of a mobile robot and the ith optical
mouse. Three subscripts, 'W, 'R', and 'i' are used to
distinguish the origin and the
&
axes of the
world coordinate frame, the mobile robot coordinate
frame, and, the ill! optical mouse coordinate frame.
From
Fig.
1,
the
position
vector,
=
i = 1,,N, of the ith optical mouse can
be expressed by

x Y

Pi

1229

Yilt,
Pi= lxYii1 = lPPii

x
x

COS 'P

.
i1 z=l,,N

Sill 'P i

'

(1)

where Pi and 'Pi are the polar coordinates of the

installation position Pi.
Let Vi.r and Vi!!' i= 1,,N, be the lateral and
longitudinal velocity measurements of the ith optical
mouse. Let V'.r and V'Y be two linear velocity
components of a mobile robot long the x axis and
the Y axis, respectively, and w, be its angular
velocity component about the z axis. Using the
velocity relationship between a mobile robot and
the ith optical mouse, the velocity kinematics of a
mobile robot with an array of N optical mIce can
be obtained by [5]

is adopted to represent the error characteristics of

the mobile robot velocity estimation owing to the
noisy velocity measurements of optical mice. Based
on the velocity kinematics, given by (4), the
uncertainty ellipsoid can be obtained as the
3-dimensional ellipsoid in the mobile robot velocity
space, which is mapped from the 2N-dimensional
unit sphere in the optical mouse velocity space:
ETI:

Tn the above, V,=[v,;r V,y w.,.JI

represents the
Vtyr
velocity vector of a mobile robot, v, = [V; v
ER2NXI represents the velocity vector of N optical
mice, with Vi=[Vi Xvi'y,i=I,,N , and A represents
the Jacobian matrix mapping v, to v" given by

-Yl
1 Xl
1 0 -Y2
A= 0
1 x2
1 0 -Yl\
1 xN
0
1

. . .

From (7),
ER2Nx3

where

can be written as

1
AtA= Nx

1
c" C T
L L

c"

L
Cr
L
R2
L2

ER3x3

(7)

where

1 N
CT = NL:Xi
i=l
1 l\
c,J= N Yi

(8)

(9)

R=

(4)

(10)

Tn the above, C r and c,J' respectively, represent the

averages of the X and Y coordinates of the position
vectors, Pi =[Xi yJ, i= 1, ,N, of N optical mice,
and R represents the root mean square of the
distances of N optical mice from the center 0 of a
mobile robot.
Using (7), the characteristic polynomial of AtA IS
given by

At A

(3)

Note that the expression of A is a function of the

positions of N optical mice, Pi
Yilt,i= 1,,N .
Tn (2), the velocity vector vr of a mobile robot
consists of linear and angular components, while
the velocity vector v, of optical mice consists of
linear components only. To eliminate the problem
of inconsistency in physical units, the characteristic
length, denoted by L, can be introduced [8]:

Av,. = Vs
V,= vTU (LX W.,W ER3xl and
Yl
1 0
L
X
l
1
0
L
Yo
1 0
L
2N
A=
X
2 ER X:1
1
0
L

(6)

The shape and orientation of the uncertainty

ellipsoid ETI, given by (6), are determined by a set
of eigenvalues of a 3 X 3 matrix A' A and their
eigen vectors, respectively. Let AI ' A2, and A3 be
three eigenvalues of NA, and let Ul , u2, and U:1
the corresponding eigen vectors. The directions of
principal axes of the 3-dimensional uncertainty
ellipsoid ETI are given by Ul , U2, and U:1, and their
corresponding lengths are given by 1/ A, 1/ A,
and 1/ A.

(2)
ER3xl

At ( At A ) A
A A vr = 1

vr

{ 1 1+-R22 ) A+ N2( _22 C/x2+C2 2 ) J'

(5)

(A- N) A2-

- YLN

11

(11)

=0

Since the solutions of (11) are three eigenvalues of

A A, denoted by Al , A2, and A:1,

xN

A tA

L
length L

- - - - -2 - - - 2- - -
)
: ) + 4 ( C/ +2 C/!) }
rAl = { ( 1+ : + ( 1- _

The characteristic
can be regarded as an
effective radius which converts the angular velocity
to the corresponding linear velocity.

(12)
(13)

3. ISOTROPY INDEX

(14)

Tn this paper, the concept of uncertainty ellipsoid

1230

function of the positions of N optical mice,

including PT, Py, and R2, and also the
characteristic length L. For a given number N of
optical mice, the value of "'j varies, depending on
the value of the characteristic length L.

It can be shown that there hold the following

inequality relationships among three eigenvalues, A],
A2, and A3:
0 <:::

A;] <::: A2(= N) <::: A]

(15)

Note that A] and A;] are the largest and smallest

Using

eIgenvalues of A tA, while A2 IS the middle

eigenvalue of AtA having the constant value of N.
Based on the uncertainty ellipsoid ER, the

(19),

the

condition
'" j

for

is obtained

2A X B= AX B

(22)

8A
A == 2L
8L

(23)

where
,

(16)
"'j

8"'

8Lr = 0,

maximal value of the isotropy index

by

measure of the Isotropy of the matnx A tA can be

defined by

The isotropy index

from

is defmed as the inverse of

B' =

the well-known condition number of AtA, taking

into account the fact that the smallest eigenvalue A:J
can become zero. From (15) and (16), the range of
"'j is given by

= 4(L2_R2 )X L+8C( ;+C)X L

(24)

(L2_R2 )X {R2_C
( I2 +C;)}= 0

(25)

Plugging (20), (21), (23), and (24) into (22), we

have

(17)

It can be shown that

In the case of 0 < '" j < 1, the uncertainty ellipsoid

En remains as a 3-dimensional ellipsoid. However,
in the case of '" r = 0, that is, A;] = 0, the uncertainty
ellipsoid ER degenerates into a 2-dimensional
ellipse(more precisely, an elliptical cylinder); and, in
the case of '" j = 1, that is, A:J = A) =N, the
uncertainty ellipsoid En becomes a 3-dimensional
sphere. For better placement of N optical mice, it
is desirable to make the value of "'r closer to unity
as much as possible.
Although the uncertainty ellipsoid ER can
represent the 3-dimensional error characteristics of
the mobile robot velocity estimation caused by the
noisy velocity measurements of optical mice,
another simple but effective performance measure
can be defmed as

(26)
unless
obtain

At A

IS singular. With (26), from (25), we

(27)

which results in

L*= R=

(28)

(28)
represents the optimal
value of the
characteristic length L, which is required for
maximal value of the isotropy index "'j' Note that
the optimal characteristic length L * is the root
mean square of the distances of N optical mice
from the center 0 of a mobile robot.
As mentioned earlier, the characteristic length L
is introduced to make all elements of the Jacobian
matrix A, given by (5), to be physically
dimensionless. With the specific choice of the
characteristic length, L =L *, all elements of the
third column of A, x/L and -y/L, i = 1 " ,N,
become independent of the relative size of N
optical mouse array. The isotropy of N optical
mouse array made subject to the condition of (28)
can be said to be scale-invariant.

(18)

The performance index "'rr IS defined to be

inversely proportional to the volume of the
uncertainty ellipsoid ER For better placement of N
optical mice, it is more desirable to make the value
of '" jj as large as possible.

4. ANISOTROPIC OPTICAL MOUSE ARRAY

Using (12) and (14), (16) can be expressed as

"'r=

5. ISOTROPIC OPTICAL MOUSE ARRAY

A- VB
A+ VB

(19)
Under the condition of (27) or (28), the
expressions of the largest and smallest eigenvalues
of AtA, A) and A3, reduce to

where

A= 1+2

Seen from (19)-(21), the isotropy index

( .IC2+C2 )
*
( _ Jc;+C;; )
_
A]-Nl

(20)

A) = N 1+

'" j

IS a

123 1

II

L*

(29)

(30)

With (29) and (30), the isotropy index Kr IS gIven

by

L*- JC+
*=
ruT
L*+ JC;+C:

M=

(31)

Now, the condition for which the value of

becomes unity is obtained by

K;

;=

N2

c;+
L*0-

(34)

Krr = N 2
=}
L*=R

&

&

&
=}

K11=0
L*=R

&

C,2+=L*2

(36)

6. REGULAR POLYGONAL OPTICAL

MOUSE ARRAY

IV

which represents the first moment of the position

vectors of N optical mice, P; =
y;y, = 1, , N.
With respect to the first moment c= 0, the second
moment of N position vectors is given by

M=
=

IV

(p;- c )(p;- cy
N

L:ppt
N

;l

2x 2

Po xsin

{
{

'Pl
'Pl

(il) x 21f }
, i=l,
+ (il) 21f }
+

. .

, N

(40)

the radius of the circumscribed

N-gon and 'PI represents the
first optical mouse. Under the
can be shown that
(41)

This research was supported by Basic Science

Research Program through the National Research
Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry
of Education(NRF-2012RIAIA2002175).

(37)

;l

i=l

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Using (I), (8), and (9), the condition of (32) can

be expressed as

c= L:p; =
N

L:x;y; L:Y

In this paper, we presented the scale-invariant

isotropy analysis of an optical mouse array for the
mobile robot velocity estimation. The main
contribution of this paper was the derivation of the
geometrical conditions for the anisotropic, isotropic,
and regular optical mouse arrays, along with the
corresponding characteristic lengths. Importantly, the
choice of the characteristic length as the root mean
square of the distances to optical mice made the
isotropic analysis to be scale-invariant. The results
of this paper can help especially for the
development of omnidirectional mobile platforms
having a non-circular base.

For comparison, it can be also shown that

K1=0

(39)

j\.

7. CONCLUSION

(35)

CX=I=O

i=l

where 12 represents the 2x 2 identity matrix. Note

that a regular polygonal array of N optical mice is
the simplest form which leads to the isotropy of
the second moment M, given by (41).

Under the condition of (32), the performance index

Krr reaches its maximum value of N 2 Note that
the minimum volume as well as the complete
isotropy of the uncertainty ellipsoid ER can be
attained simultaneously, under the conditions of (28)
and (32):

Kr = 1

i=l

2
M = P2OI 2

(33)

where 13 represents the 3 x 3 identity matrix.

On the other hand, with (29) and (30), another
performance index Krr can be expressed as

K11-

Po x cos

where Po represents
circle of a regular
offset angle of the
condition of (40), it

Note that with (28) and (32), (7) becomes

AA= NxI:1

-x
N

For a regular polygonal array of N optical mice,

(37) becomes

(32) represents that the geometric center of N opti

cal mice coincides with the center 0 of a mobile
robot. It should be mentioned that both (28) and
(32) constitute two conditions required to achieve
K; = 1, that is, Al = A3 = N, that is, the isotropy of

IV

i=l

(32)

AA.

IV

L:x; L:x;y;

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