I don't know anything about robotics at all, but wouldn't it be easier to put some kind of range-finding sensor(s) on the thing rather than an image sensor? You might be able to image a wall, but how does the robot know if it's 2 inches or 2 feet away? Is there really enough resolution in 32x32 to be able to discern features well enough to make effective decisions based on it?

Again, this comes from someone who has never worked with robotics. But it was my first impression.

Regards,
Craig Steiner