Crusader Automated Docking System Phase 3 report

Abstract

The US Army is developing the next generation of battlefield artillery vehicles, including an advanced, self-propelled howitzer and a companion resupply vehicle. The resupply vehicle is intended to rendezvous with the howitzer near the battlefront and to upload ammunition to the howitzer. The Army has recommended that the vehicles incorporate robotics to increase safety, by allowing the crew to remain inside their vehicles during resupply operations. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed an autonomous docking system for a 6-D.F. robotic, ammunition transfer arm. The docking system augments the operator`s abilities by determining the position and orientation (pose) of a docking port. The pose is the location of the x, y, and z reference axes in 3-D space; and the orientation is the rotations--roll, pitch, and yaw--about those axes. Bye precisely determining the pose of the docking port, the robot can be instructed to move to the docking position without operator intervention. The system uses a video camera and frame grabber to digitize images of the special docking port. Custom algorithms were developed to recognize the port in the camera image, to determine the pose from its image features, and to distribute the results to the robot control computer. The system is loosely coupled to the robot and can be easily adapted to different mechanical configurations. The system has successfully demonstrated autonomous docking on a 24-in. tabletop robot and a 12-ft ammunition resupply robot. The update rate, measurement accuracy, continuous operation, and accuracy with obstructed view have been determined experimentally.