Laser-based Vision System Research Articles

Autonomous Control of the Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle in Collision Situation with Stationary Obstacle

Abstract The article considers the problem of autonomous control of the underwater remotely operated vehicle mini Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in a collision situation with a stationary obstacle. The control of the collision avoidance process is presented as a synthesis of fuzzy proportional-differential controllers for the control of distance and orientation concerning the detected stationary obstacle. The control of the submergence depth of the underwater vehicle has been adopted as a separate control flow. A method to obtain the main motion parameters of the underwater vehicle relative to the detected stationary obstacle using a Laser-based Vision System (LVS) and a pressure sensor coupled to an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is described and discussed. The result of computer implementation of the designed fuzzy controllers for collision avoidance is demonstrated in simulation tests and experiments carried out with the mini ROV in the test pool.

A Virtual Blind Cane Using a Line Laser-Based Vision System and an Inertial Measurement Unit.

A virtual blind cane system for indoor application, including a camera, a line laser and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), is proposed in this paper. Working as a blind cane, the proposed system helps a blind person find the type of obstacle and the distance to it. The distance from the user to the obstacle is estimated by extracting the laser coordinate points on the obstacle, as well as tracking the system pointing angle. The paper provides a simple method to classify the obstacle’s type by analyzing the laser intersection histogram. Real experimental results are presented to show the validity and accuracy of the proposed system.

A Laser-Based Vision System for Weld Quality Inspection

Welding is a very complex process in which the final weld quality can be affected by many process parameters. In order to inspect the weld quality and detect the presence of various weld defects, different methods and systems are studied and developed. In this paper, a laser-based vision system is developed for non-destructive weld quality inspection. The vision sensor is designed based on the principle of laser triangulation. By processing the images acquired from the vision sensor, the geometrical features of the weld can be obtained. Through the visual analysis of the acquired 3D profiles of the weld, the presences as well as the positions and sizes of the weld defects can be accurately identified and therefore, the non-destructive weld quality inspection can be achieved.

Computing location and orientation of polyhedral surfaces using a laser-based vision system

A system for determining the 3-D location and orientation of polyhedral surfaces is proposed. An expanded laser beam passes through a code plate marked with equally spaced vertical and horizontal lines and impinges on a polyhedral object to create a spatial-encoded image for analysis. Based on the vanishing points or the directly available line directions of the perceived grid lines on the polyhedral surface, the polyhedral surface orientation is inferred. The given dimensions of the grid pattern on the plate are used to estimate the depth information of the polyhedral surfaces. The noise problem that occurs in the real image is solved by a least-squares-estimation method and an iterative refinement method based on a geometric constraint criterion. Experiments conducted to provide practical insight into the method indicate that the method is accurate and stable. >

An adaptive real-time intelligent seam tracking system

Abstract The concept of a real-time seam tracking system for welding automation and the initial design for building a prototype is presented. The Adaptive Real-time Intelligent Seam Tracker (ARTIST) uses a robot held, laser based vision system for automation of arc welding processes, and is currently under development at the Applied Research Laboratory of the Pennsylvania State University. The design of ARTIST builds upon the concept of a zero-pass technique. The 3D information of seam geometry is collected and processed for real-time guidance and control of the welding torch trailing behind the laser based vision sensor. This zero-pass concept eliminates the need for preprogramming of the weld path and thus, potentially enhances the welding cycle time for small batches. The ARTIST is designed to support multipass arc welding and to handle any tack welds which are encountered during the seam welding operation.