Remotely Operated Robotic Arm with Intelligent Visual Control

Remote guidance of robots is a rapidly growing technology with applications in industry, space exploration, and earth and oceanographic science research. The key elements of the remote guidance hardware have become available at increasingly affordable prices with the development of personal computers and personal video equipment. These include high performance central processors; high resolution television cameras, video display boards, and monitors; high performance frame grabbers for image capture and processing, and, finally, multi-tasking, multi-windows multimedia operating systems software. Phase I of this Project will demonstrate the feasibility of real time three dimensional vision on a commercially available personal computer hardware for robot systems. The following applied software will be developed: an integrated multitasking, multiwindows operating system shell; primary window program for stereo vision; windows for stereo vision control; window for controlling sound monitoring; toolbox window for vehicle guidance. Two TV cameras and stereo microphones, will be mounted on a small robotic arm moving under computer based operator guidance.