Robotic application of the vision system for object distancing and ranging

Abstract

This research activity is being carried out between the Canadian Space Agency and the Royal Military College of Canada. The objective is to develop a vision system for object distancing and ranging using a robotic arm. A small camera is attached to the gripper of a robotic arm, which acquires the images of the objects in its field of view. The images are available to the operator controlling the process. The selected images are processed and a closed-form algorithm for photogrammetry is employed to determine the kinematic parameters of the objects. Once the objects are identified, the robotic arm is used to perform required tasks (pick and place, for example). The system can scan the whole search volume automatically, thus reducing the workload of the operator.