The objective of this research is to develop a miniaturized 3-D laser range finder system which is integrated into a robot gripper and can be utilized for visual perception and manipulation of objects in unstructured environments. Such a configuration will have a high degree of mobility and allow for the arbitrary placement of the sensor at different view points as needed to facilitate the object perception process. Special emphasis will be placed on designing a system that can be readily used for a wide variety of manufacturing applications. The anticipated results of the Phase I effort will be the establishment of the proof of principle for and the realization of the proposed range imaging system. The Phase I achievements will be fully documented in a comprehensive final report and videotape demonstration. A substantial contribution to the economic competitiveness of American industry will be made by advancing the state of the art in intelligent sensory systems technology; particularly in the areas of manufacturing automation, sensor guided robotics, object detection tracking by allowing for a more powerful visual perception capability which can accommodate extremely complex sensorimotor intensive tasks.The potential commercial application as described by the awardee: The potential commercial applications of this research include: objects identification/tracking/acquisition for robotic applications, automated assembly, work piece inspection for advanced manufacturing purposes, autonomous mobile robot navigation, handling of clean room or hazardous materials and intelligent surveillance systems.
