Discrete-Time Visual Servoing Control with Adaptive Image Feature Prediction Based on Manipulator Dynamics

In this paper, a practical discrete-time control method with adaptive image feature prediction for the image-based visual servoing (IBVS) scheme is presented. In the discrete-time IBVS inner-loop/outer-loop control architecture, the time delay caused by image capture and computation is noticed. Considering the dynamic characteristics of a 6-DOF manipulator velocity input system, we propose a linear dynamic model to describe the motion of a robot end effector. Furthermore, for better estimation of image features and smoothing of the robot's velocity input, we propose an adaptive image feature prediction method that employs past image feature data and real robot velocity data to adopt the prediction parameters. The experimental results on a 6-DOF robotic arm demonstrate that the proposed method can ensure system stability and accelerate system convergence.

A Multilayer Perceptron-Based Spherical Visual Compass Using Global Features

This paper presents a visual compass method utilizing global features, specifically spherical moments. One of the primary challenges faced by photometric methods employing global features is the variation in the image caused by the appearance and disappearance of regions within the camera's field of view as it moves. Additionally, modeling the impact of translational motion on the values of global features poses a significant challenge, as it is dependent on scene depths, particularly for non-planar scenes. To address these issues, this paper combines the utilization of image masks to mitigate abrupt changes in global feature values and the application of neural networks to tackle the modeling challenge posed by translational motion. By employing masks at various locations within the image, multiple estimations of rotation corresponding to the motion of each selected region can be obtained. Our contribution lies in offering a rapid method for implementing numerous masks on the image with real-time inference speed, rendering it suitable for embedded robot applications. Extensive experiments have been conducted on both real-world and synthetic datasets generated using Blender. The results obtained validate the accuracy, robustness, and real-time performance of the proposed method compared to a state-of-the-art method.

Closed-form camera pose and plane parameters estimation for moments-based visual servoing of planar objects

Image moments are global descriptors of an image and can be used to achieve control-decoupling properties in visual servoing. However, only a few methods completely decouple the control. This study introduces a novel camera pose estimation method, which is a closed-form solution, based on the image moments of planar objects. Traditional position-based visual servoing estimates the pose of a camera relative to an object, but the pose estimation method directly estimates the pose of an initial camera relative to a desired camera. Because the estimation method is based on plane parameters, a plane parameters estimation method based on the 2D rotation, 2D translation, and scale invariant moments is also proposed. A completely decoupled position-based visual servoing control scheme from the two estimation methods above was adopted. The new scheme exhibited asymptotic stability when the object plane was in the camera field of view. Simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of the two estimation methods and the advantages of the visual servo control scheme compared with the classical method.

Rotation Estimation: A Closed-Form Solution Using Spherical Moments

Photometric moments are global descriptors of an image that can be used to recover motion information. This paper uses spherical photometric moments for a closed form estimation of 3D rotations from images. Since the used descriptors are global and not of the geometrical kind, they allow to avoid image processing as features extraction, matching, and tracking. The proposed scheme based on spherical projection can be used for the different vision sensors obeying the central unified model: conventional, fisheye, and catadioptric. Experimental results using both synthetic data and real images in different scenarios are provided to show the efficiency of the proposed method.