ICAR2007 : Robot positioning using structured light patterns suitable for self calibration and 3D tracking

Title : Robot positioning using structured light patterns suitable for self calibration and 3D tracking

Author : Kasper Claes, Herman Bruyninckx

Abstract : We study the control of a robot arm with an eye-in-hand camera, using structured light with a projector in a fixed but unknown position. Based on the theory of perfect maps, we propose a deterministic method to generate patterns independent of the relative 6D orientation between the camera and the projector, with any alphabet size and minimal Hamming distance between the codes. This independence makes self calibration using a known robot motion possible, and removes the need for less robust calibration grids. Patterns that are large enough for controlling a robotic arm are generated with error correcting capabilities. The experiments show the controlled motion of an industrial robot to a chosen position near a non-planar object, using a projector-camera calibration. This provides a wider baseline and hence more robustness than structure from motion.