Technische Universitat Munchen

Nicolas Alt

Eckehard Steinbach

Martin Freundl

Dong Qiuwei

Stefan Lochbrunner

Clemens Schuwerk

A method for determining the joint positions of a kinematic chain uses only an imaging sensor and a computing unit. Characteristic features on the links and joints of the kinematic chain are identified and the joint positions are calculated from these visual measurements. The robot can be controlled without the use of joint encoders. A sensor system for monitoring the status of a kinematic chain includes a computing unit and an imaging sensor. The imaging sensor may be mounted to the kinematic chain or in the surroundings of the kinematic chain and monitors the kinematic chain and/or the surroundings of the kinematic chain. The computing unit determines a pose and/or movement parameters of at least one element of the kinematic chain by analyzing an output signal of the imaging sensor, in particular by analyzing characteristic features and determines a rotational joint position by analyzing the characteristic features.

Vision-based sensor system and control method for robot arms

The present disclosure presents a visuo-haptic sensor, which is based on a passive, deformable element whose deformation is observed by a camera. In particular, the improved simplified sensor may determine the force and/or torque applied to a point of the sensor in multiple spatial dimensions.

Visuo-haptic sensor

A visuo-haptic sensor is presented which uses a deformable, passive material that is mounted in view of a camera. When objects interact with the sensor the deformable material is compressed, causing a change in the shape thereof. The change of shape is detected and evaluated by an image processor that is operatively connected to the camera. The camera may also observe the vicinity of the manipulator to measure ego-motion and motion of close-by objects. The visuo-haptic sensor may be attached to a mobile platform, a robotic manipulator or to any other machine which needs to acquire haptic information about the environment.

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Munich, Germany

Nicolas Alt