Diagnosing device for stereo camera mounted on robot, and diagnostic method of stereo camera mounted on robot apparatus

• US 7,373,270 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshigahara, Takayuki, Fukuchi, Masaki, Ohashi, Takeshi, Hidai, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun; Xiuqin
• Application Number:
  US10/808,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 318/568.12, 318/580, 324/758, 700/245, 700/259, 348/139, 348/159, 704/275, 356/605
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras

Abstract

A diagnostic mat has a texture, which enables avoiding mismatching in diagnosis and calibration, such as uniform and unduplicated patterns, for example, random dot patterns, fractal, natural images, and the like. A robot apparatus placed on the diagnostic mat assumes a stance suitable for taking images of the diagnostic mat, creates a distance image from an image acquired by the stereo camera, and verifies the performance of the stereo camera based on the flatness of the diagnostic mat obtained from this distance image. This assists in diagnosing the offset of the stereo camera mounted on the robot apparatus due to the deterioration over time of the stereo camera, falling of the robot apparatus, and the like.

Claims

1. A diagnosing device for a stereo camera mounted on a robot, said device comprising:

a flat surface portion on which texture for stereo camera diagnosis is provided;

an attitude unit that causes said robot apparatus placed on said diagnostic mat to assume a stance suitable for obtaining an image of the diagnostic mat by searching for a visual line direction of the stereo camera such that the texture fits in the region to be diagnosed within an image obtained by the stereo camera; and

adjusting the size of the region to be diagnosed within the image obtained by the stereo camera such that the texture covers the size in the visual line direction of the stereo camera;

a creation unit adapted to create a distance image based on the image obtained by said stereo camera;

an image detection unit adapted to detect the flat face of said diagnostic mat from said created distance image; and

a measurement unit adapted to measure the flatness of said detected flat face, and verifying the performance of a stereo camera according to whether or not the flatness is greater than a standard flatness,

wherein when the measured flatness of the detected flat face meets at least the standard flatness, performance of the diagnosing device is determined to be sufficient and a determination is made that a calibration is unnecessary, and

wherein when the measured flatness of the detected flat face is below the standard flatness, performance of the diagnosing device is determined to be insufficient and a determination is made that a calibration is necessary,

wherein said robot includes a ground-contact portion for contact with a floor face, and

wherein an indicator indicates a place on said surface portion where said ground-contact portion of said robot is placed.

2. A stereo camera diagnosing device according to claim 1, wherein said robot includes one or more mobile legs including a foot;

and

wherein said indicator indicates a place on said surface portion where the soles of feet of said robot are placed.

3. A stereo camera diagnosing device according to claim 1, wherein said stereo camera diagnosing device has a folding structure, which becomes a flat shape exposing said surface portion at the time of unfolding said folding structure.

4. A stereo camera diagnosing device according to claim 1, wherein said surface portion includes texture within a template, which can correctly perform matching on an epipolar line in the event of a stereo camera system using template matching.

5. A stereo camera diagnosing device according to claim 1, wherein said surface portion includes texture which allows avoiding mismatching in diagnosis and calibration.

6. A stereo camera diagnosing device according to claim 1, wherein said surface portion has patterns shaded in uniform texture.

7. A stereo camera diagnosing device according to claim 1, wherein said surface portion includes calibration patterns of which geometrical shape is known.