Centimeter-level localization and precise rotation angle estimation for flatbed trucks pose significant challenges in unmanned forklift automated loading scenarios. To address this issue, the study proposed a method for high-precision positioning and rotation angle estimation of flatbed trucks using the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and vision technology. First, an unmanned forklift equipped with a Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera and a dual-antenna mobile receiver for BDS positioning collected depth images and localization data near the front and rear endpoints of the flatbed. The Deep Dual-Resolution Network-23-slim (DDRNet-23-slim) model was used to segment the flatbed from the depth image and extract the straight lines at the edges of the flatbed using the Hough transform. The algorithm then computed the set of intersection points of the lines. A neighborhood feature vector was designed to identify the endpoint of a flatbed from a set of intersection points using feature screening. Finally, the relative coordinates of the endpoints were converted to a customized forklift navigation coordinate system by BDS positioning. A rotation angle estimation was then performed using the endpoints at the front and rear. Experiments showed that the endpoint positioning error was less than 3 cm, and the rotation angle estimation error was less than 0.3°, which verified the validity and reliability of the method.
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