ROBOTIC GUIDANCE SYSTEMS USING SPECIALIZED AND GENERALIZED TARGETS

ROBOTIC GUIDANCE REQUIRES SENSING AND CONTROL IN THREE DIMENSIONS. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE USE OF EXTERNAL SENSORS THAT MEASURE ROBOT LOCATION RELATIVE TO TARGET OBJECT LOCATIONS. A ROBOT GUIDANCE SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED BASED ON HYBRID LASER ILLUMINATION AND VIDEO SENSORS, THAT CAN USE SIMPLIFIED TARGETS FOR BOTH OBJECT LOCATION AND IDENTIFICATION, AND MORE COMPLEX THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRICAL, FEATURE-BASED RECOGNITION SCHEMES AS WELL (AT THE COST OF GREATER COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY). MANY DESIGNED OBJECTS LIKE ORUS, TOOLS TAILORED FOR ROBOTIC USE, AND SATELLITE-DOCKING FIXTURES, CAN EASILY INCORPORATE DOCKING TARGETS AND OBJECT CODING TAGS (LIKE BAR CODES). THESE RECOGNITION "FIXTURES" OFFER THE ADVANTAGE OF RAPID RELIABLE RECOGNITION (EVEN IN A VISION SYSTEM THAT CAN HANDLE MORE COMPLEX RECOGNITION TASKS) AND ARE ANALOGOUS TO SPECIALLY DESIGNED GRAPPLE POINTS, WHICH OFFER EASY, SURE ROBOTIC GRIP POINTS, WHILE DESIGNED TARGETS ARE GOOD FOR MANIPULATION AND RECOGNITION OF DESIGNED OBJECTS, UNTAGGED, GEOMETRICAL FEATURE-BASED RECOGNITION AND MEASUREMENT MUST BE SUPPORTED AS WELL. THIS REQUIREMENT IS NECESSARY FOR GRASPING UNTAGGED OBJECTS, MANIPULATING DAMAGED OBJECTS, OR ALIGNING OBJECTS SO THAT PARTICULAR FEATURES (SUCH AS HOLES, SIDES, CORNERS, ETC.) MATE PROPERLY. ROBOTIC GUIDANCE REQUIRES SENSING AND CONTROL IN THREE DIMENSIONS. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE USE OF EXTERNAL SENSORS THAT MEASURE ROBOT LOCATION RELATIVE TO TARGET OBJECT LOCATIONS. A ROBOT GUIDANCE SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED BASED ON HYBRID LASER ILLUMINATION AND VIDEO SENSORS, THAT CAN USE SIMPLIFIED TARGETS FOR BOTH OBJECT LOCATION AND IDENTIFICATION, AND MORE COMPLEX THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRICAL, FEATURE-BASED RECOGNITION SCHEMES AS WELL (AT THE COST OF GREATER COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY). MANY DESIGNED OBJECTS LIKE ORUS, TOOLS TAILORED FOR ROBOTIC USE, AND SATELLITE-DOCKING FIXTURES, CAN EASILY INCORPORATE DOCKING TARGETS AND OBJECT CODING TAGS (LIKE BAR CODES). THESE RECOGNITION "FIXTURES" OFFER THE ADVANTAGE OF RAPID RELIABLE RECOGNITION (EVEN IN A VISION SYSTEM THAT CAN HANDLE MORE COMPLEX RECOGNITION TASKS) AND ARE ANALOGOUS TO SPECIALLY DESIGNED GRAPPLE POINTS, WHICH OFFER EASY, SURE ROBOTIC GRIP POINTS, WHILE DESIGNED TARGETS ARE GOOD FOR MANIPULATION AND RECOGNITION OF DESIGNED OBJECTS, UNTAGGED, GEOMETRICAL FEATURE-BASED RECOGNITION AND MEASUREMENT MUST BE SUPPORTED AS WELL. THIS REQUIREMENT IS NECESSARY FOR GRASPING UNTAGGED OBJECTS, MANIPULATING DAMAGED OBJECTS, OR ALIGNING OBJECTS SO THAT PARTICULAR FEATURES (SUCH AS HOLES, SIDES, CORNERS, ETC.) MATE PROPERLY.