Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Terms of Use
© 2025 Hojune Kim. This work is freely available courtesy of the author. It may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. For all other uses, please contact the copyright holder.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Engineering Department,Mathematics & Statistics Department
First Advisor
Matthew A. Zucker
Abstract
In this work, we propose a low-cost motion capture system for real-time tracking of multiple robots’ positions and orientations in indoor environments, specifically tailored for research and educational applications. Precise localization is essential for evaluating robotics algorithms such as decentralized multi-agent control, cooperative path planning, and collision avoidance. [1-3] However, commercial motion capture systems like Vicon and OptiTrack cost between $50,000 and $150,000, making them inaccessible for many smaller institutions, student clubs, and low-resource labs. To address this challenge, we developed an affordable alternative based on three ceiling-mounted 1080p USB cameras and AprilTags. Our system operates at 30 Hz and achieves a spatial accuracy of approximately 10 cm. The system architecture includes camera calibration (intrinsic and extrinsic), pose estimation using solvePnP, coordinate fusion, and TCP-based data streaming. Its effectiveness was validated through real-to-simulation and simulation-to-real experiments involving multiple mobile robots. By balancing accuracy, cost, and scalability, the system provides a practical and accessible platform for real-time multi-robot tracking.
Recommended Citation
Kim, Hojune , '25, "Designing an Affordable Motion Capture System for Multi-Robot Research and Education" (2025). Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards. 966.
https://works.swarthmore.edu/theses/966
