Hybrid image-plane/stereo (HIPS) for orientation control of manipulators

— Planetary exploration systems, operating under severe environmental and operating conditions, have thus far successfully employed carefully calibrated stereo cameras and manipulators to achieve desired precision in instrument placement activities. However, the environmental and functional restrictions imposed by the remote operation of semi-autonomous robots in a harsh planetary atmosphere for long periods of time limit the ultimate operational accuracy of this approach. This paper builds on an algorithm, referred to as Hybrid Image-Plane/Stereo (HIPS), developed to optimize the positioning accuracy of a manipulator. The HIPS method generates camera models through direct visual sensing of the manipulator end-effector. It estimates and subsequently uses these models to position the manipulator at a target location specified in the image-planes of a stereo camera pair using stereo correlation and triangulation. While positioning control of manipulation systems is important, orientat...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: ICRA
• Authors: Kevin Nickels
• Keywords: ICRA 2008, Manipulator End-effector, Orientation Control, Robotics, Stereo Camera