A 3-D Sensor System for Teaching Robot Paths and Environments

In this paper, we discuss a three-dimensional (3-D) sensor system that can simultaneously measure 3-D pose ( position and orientation) of robot environments. The 3-D sensor system consists of a camera using a position-sensitive device and multiple LEDs ( light emitting diode) attached to robotic devices, such as a robot's hand and a teaching device. 3-D pose of these devices is calculated in real time based on both two-dimensional coordinate values of the LEDs in an image plane of the camera and geometrical relationships among 3-D positions of the LEDs. The 3-D sensor system has the advantages of simplicity and practical usefulness for obtain ing 3-D information about robotic devices at high speed. We describe the experimental results of applications to visual detection of a robot's hand position and orientation, teaching of robot paths with a robot language system, and modeling of robot environments using the stereo-vision method.