Visual navigation rely heavily on semantic segmentation outcomes, which is invaluable for practical applications. However, the efficacy of this navigation method is compromised when the accuracy of semantic segmentation falls short. Crucially, the availability of an appropriate dataset containing pixel-wise class labels is imperative for constructing a robust classifier. To alleviate the burden of manual annotation, the authors have endeavored attempt to implement a semi-automatic process for generating a training dataset from 3D scanned data. To enhance the versatility of the approach, the present study introduces augmentation techniques that consider the semantic attributes of images within the target scenario: DMIT and ToD are employed to address color variations caused by seasonal changes lawn growth and fluctuations on the sun’s height, respectively. Experimental results based on images captured during the Tsukuba Challenge, a competition featuring autonomous moving robots in Japan, showed that the proposed methodology substantially enhances classification accuracy, particularly for images taken under conditions different from those during the creation of the 3D model.

An autonomous moving scheme with semantic information extracted from images captured by the monocular camera was proposed, providing accurate results of semantic segmentation. A training dataset must accommodate the moving environment to train a classifier for autonomous moving. However, preparing a large-scale dataset composed of images having pixel-wise manually-annotated class labels is impractical. We generated datasets automatically from 3D point clouds, for reducing manpower. The dataset had significant problems: domain gap and shadows. Therefore, style transfer is incorporated in the proposed scheme to bridge the gap to resolve this problem. Moreover, pseudo shadows were added to improve the classification accuracy of testing images with shadows. Experimental results using 3D point clouds and testing images taken around Tsukuba City showed that classification accuracy was improved by the proposed scheme. The classification accuracy of the sidewalk, the most significant class for autonomous moving at the Tsukuba Challenge, was 95.7%.