SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ROBOTICALLY ENGAGING AN OBJECT

• US 20070276539A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roboticvisiontech LLC
• Original Assignee: Roboticvisiontech LLC
• Inventors: Sameti, Mohammad, Habibi, Babak, Clark, Geoff
• Application Number:
  US11/754,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276539A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37555 Camera detects orientation, position workpiece, points of workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39001 Robot, manipulator control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40564 Recognize shape, contour of object, extract position and orientation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40583 Detect relative position or orientation between gripper and currently handled object
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40622 Detect orientation of workpiece during movement of end effector

Abstract

Briefly described, one embodiment is a method for imprecisely engaging an object or tool, the method comprising capturing an image of an imprecisely-engaged object with an image capture device, processing the captured image to identify a pose of the imprecisely-engaged object, and determining a pose deviation based upon the pose of the imprecisely-engaged object and the pose of a corresponding ideally-engaged object.

Claims

1. A method for engaging objects with a robotic system, the method comprising:

capturing an image of an imprecisely-engaged object with an image capture device;

processing the captured image to identify a pose of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

determining a pose deviation based upon the pose of the imprecisely-engaged object and an ideal pose of a corresponding ideally-engaged object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a pose of the imprecisely engaged object based upon the pose deviation and a reference coordinate system; and

determining a path of movement for the imprecisely engaged object from a current pose to an object destination based upon the determined pose.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the captured image and determining the pose deviation comprises:

processing the captured image to identify a reference point pose for at least one reference point of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

determining the pose deviation based upon the reference point pose of the identified reference point and a corresponding reference point pose on a an ideally-engaged object.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a difference between the identified reference point on the imprecisely-engaged object and a model reference point on a known model of the imprecisely-engaged object, such that determining the pose deviation is based at least in part upon the difference between the identified reference point and the model reference point.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a deviation work path based upon the determined pose deviation, wherein the deviation work path corresponds to an ideal work path offset by the determined pose deviation.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

moving the imprecisely-engaged object along the determined deviation work path.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an object pose of the imprecisely-engaged object based upon the determined pose deviation, wherein the object pose is defined with respect to a reference coordinate system; and

determining a path of movement for the imprecisely-engaged object, wherein the path of movement is determined based upon the object pose and the reference coordinate system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

moving the imprecisely-engaged object along the determined path of movement.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

moving the imprecisely-engaged object along the determined path of movement to an object destination.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the path of movement is further determined based upon a moveable object destination.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the pose deviation comprises:

determining a distance deviation.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the pose deviation comprises:

determining an orientation deviation.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

imprecisely engaging an object with an engaging device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

imprecisely engaging a tool with an engaging device, wherein the imprecisely-engaged object is the imprecisely-engaged tool.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the pose deviation, updating a tool definition for the tool.

16. A robotic system that engages objects, comprising:

an engaging device operable to imprecisely engage an object;

an image capture device operable to capture an image of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

a control system communicatively coupled to the image capture device, and operable to;

receive the captured image;

process the captured image to identify a pose of at least one reference point of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

determine a pose deviation based upon the pose of the identified reference point and a reference point pose of a corresponding reference point on an ideally-engaged object.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the control system is operable to determining a pose of the imprecisely engaged object based upon the pose deviation and a robot coordinate system and to determining a path of movement for the imprecisely engaged object from a current pose to an object destination based upon the determined pose.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the control system is operable to determine a difference between at least one identified reference point on the imprecisely-engaged object and a model reference point on a known model of the imprecisely-engaged object, such that determining the pose deviation is based at least in part upon the difference between the identified reference point and the model reference point.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the image capture device is physically coupled to the engaging device.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the image capture device is physically coupled to a remote structure.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a robot member operable to move the imprecisely-engaged object, and wherein the image capture device is physically coupled to the robot member.

22. A method for engaging objects with a robotic system, the method comprising:

processing a captured image of an imprecisely-engaged object to identify an initial pose of the imprecisely-engaged object;

referencing the initial pose of the imprecisely-engaged object with a coordinate system; and

determining a path of movement for the imprecisely-engaged object, wherein the path of movement begins at the initial pose for the imprecisely-engaged object and ends at an intended destination for the imprecisely-engaged object.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

processing the captured image to identify an initial pose of at least one reference point of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

determining a pose deviation based upon the initial pose and a reference point pose of a corresponding reference point on an ideally-engaged object.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein processing the captured image to identify an initial pose of at least one reference point comprises:

processing the captured image to identify the initial pose of at least one secondary reference point; and

translating the initial pose of the at least one secondary reference point to the initial pose the reference point.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a difference between at least one identified reference point on the imprecisely-engaged object and a model reference point on a known model of the imprecisely-engaged object, such that determining the path of movement is based at least in part upon the difference between the identified reference point and the model reference point.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein determining the path of movement for the imprecisely-engaged object comprises:

determining a pose deviation based upon the initial pose and a reference point pose of a corresponding reference point on an ideally-engaged object; and

offsetting an ideal path of movement with an offset based upon the determined pose deviation.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

moving the imprecisely-engaged object along the determined path of movement.

28. A system for engaging objects with a robotic system, comprising:

means for imprecisely engaging an object;

means for capturing an image of an imprecisely-engaged object with an image capture device;

means for processing the captured image to identify a pose of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

means for determining a pose deviation based upon the pose of the imprecisely-engaged object and an ideal pose of a corresponding ideally-engaged object.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for moving the imprecisely-engaged object along a determined path of movement, wherein the determined path of movement is based upon the determined pose deviation.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for adjusting an imprecise pose of the imprecisely-engaged object to an ideal pose.

31. A method for engaging objects with a robotic system, the method comprising:

capturing an image of a plurality of imprecisely-engaged objects with an image capture device;

processing the captured image to determine a pose of at least one of the imprecisely-engaged objects with respect to a reference coordinate system; and

determining a path of movement for the at least one imprecisely engaged object to an object destination based upon the identified pose.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein processing the captured image to identify a pose comprises:

processing the captured image to identify a reference point pose for at least one reference point of the at least one imprecisely-engaged object; and

determining the pose of at least one of the imprecisely-engaged objects based upon the reference point pose.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

determining pose of at least two of the plurality of imprecisely-engaged objects;

selecting one of the at least two imprecisely-engaged objects based upon a pose of interest.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

initially engaging the plurality of imprecisely-engaged objects with a first engaging device;

imprecisely engaging the selected one of the imprecisely-engaged objects with a second engaging device; and

processing a second captured image to determine a second pose of at least one of the imprecisely-engaged objects with respect to a reference coordinate system, such that determining the path of movement to the object destination for the selected imprecisely-engaged object is determined from the second pose.

35. A method for engaging objects with a robotic system, the method comprising:

acquiring information about an imprecisely-engaged object;

processing the acquired information to identify a pose of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

determining a pose of the imprecisely-engaged object.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein determining a pose of the imprecisely-engaged object is based upon an ideal pose of a corresponding ideally-engaged object and a reference coordinate system.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein acquiring information about the imprecisely-engaged object comprises:

acquiring ultrasound information.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein acquiring information about the imprecisely-engaged object comprises:

acquiring magnetic information.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein acquiring magnetic information comprises:

acquiring magnetic information with a magnetic resonant imaging device.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein acquiring information about the imprecisely-engaged object comprises:

acquiring laser energy information.

41. A method for engaging objects with a robotic system, the method comprising:

capturing an image of an imprecisely-engaged object with an image capture device;

processing the captured image to determine at least one object attribute of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

determining the pose of the imprecisely-engaged object based upon the determined object attribute.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

determining a path of movement to an object destination for the imprecisely engaged object from the determined pose.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein processing the captured image and determining the pose deviation comprises:

processing the captured image to identify a reference point pose for at least one reference point of the imprecisely-engaged object; and

determining the pose based upon the reference point pose.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

determining a difference between the identified reference point on the imprecisely-engaged object and a model reference point on a known model of the imprecisely-engaged object, such that determining the pose is based at least in part upon the difference between the identified reference point and the model reference point.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

imprecisely engaging a tool with the engaging device, wherein the imprecisely-engaged object is the imprecisely-engaged tool, and wherein the determined pose is pose of the imprecisely-engaged tool.

46. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

in response to determining the pose, updating a tool definition for the tool.