Visual servoing

Abstract

Conventional industrial robots utilize close loop kinematics chain for position control. Feedback control of the robot has so far been focused mainly on joint positions. In this dissertation, visual feedback control of a robot, better known as visual servoing, is explored.The classification of visual feedback robotic systems falls into four basic structures, namely the Dynamic Positioned-based Look-and-Moved structure, the Dynamic Image-based Look-and-Moved structure, the Position-based Visual Servo structure and the Image-based Visual Servo structure.Two visual tracking systems are developed, namely the Dynamic Position-based Look-and-Move structure, and the Image-based Visual Servo structure. The setup comprised of a custom-built 2-axis pan-tilt robot, a color CCD camera, a frame grabber card and a PC with real-time software installed. The systems are to track a stationary or moving object using its pan-tilt axes, keeping the object in its view at all times. Characteristics of the two systems are discussed.