JPH02183103A - Target for three-dimensional information detection - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable accurate detection of three-dimensional information even on an object to which power is hard to supply by using a solar battery element provided on the surface of a target base having a plurality of light emitting elements as surface color thereof and as power source for the light emitting elements as well. CONSTITUTION:Light emitting elements 3a-3d are near a surface corner part of a target base 1 of a target and a light emitting element 3e is at the tip of a pole 5 erected vertical to the surface of the base 1 at the center of the elements 3a-3d. Moreover, a solar battery element 7 stuck closely on the surface of the base 1 is connected to the elements 3a-3e. The target is mounted on an object to be handled with a robot and the target is lighted by a lighting or the like arranged in the perimeter or the like of the object. As a result, an element 7 of the base 1 generates a power to emit light from the elements 3a-3e. Here, when a CCD camera catches the elements 3a-3e and inputs a video signal output into a light emitting element detection circuit, the circuit can detect the elements 3a-3e with a high reliability utilizing that black of the element 7 serves as surface color of the base 1.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Purpose of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to three-dimensional work objects, work environments, and work jigs that are essential when robots perform advanced work. The present invention relates to a three-dimensional information detection target used in a method for obtaining three-dimensional information such as position, distance, and orientation.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, objects handled by robots have been accurately positioned using a belt conveyor or the like, so there has been no need for the robots themselves to detect the position of the objects. However, the environments in which robots are used are expanding from factories and indoors to extreme environments such as outer space and nuclear power plants, and are expanding to the external natural environment, and it is no longer expected that the objects handled by robots will be precisely positioned. It is becoming. Therefore, it is important to accurately measure the three-dimensional position, distance, posture, etc. of the work object, work environment, work jig, etc.

Furthermore, it is equally important to accurately measure the current position of an object in order to promote the automation of tasks other than robots in similar environments.

By the way, when a robot works, what is required is the position and posture of the place to be grasped by the robot hand. Therefore, rather than methods such as detecting, recognizing, and recognizing objects by image processing the entire screen captured by a camera, attaching a target to the object,
The method of detecting the target is more efficient because it does not require a high-performance processor or a huge amount of image processing calculations.

An example of such a method is a three-dimensional information detection method described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-52703. This method attaches multiple light emitting elements to the workpiece, detects the spot light of these light emitting elements with a camera, and calculates the three-dimensional position and orientation of each light emitting element from the position on the screen. be.

However, in this method, electric power is required on the workpiece side in order to cause the light emitting element attached to the workpiece to emit light. Therefore, if this method is to be used for teaching robot work, a light emitting element is attached to the robot hand, which can be easily implemented since it is possible to obtain electric power. However, when a robot transports a fuel tank or a trunk for transporting replacement parts, a light emitting element must be attached to the fuel tank or trunk for transporting replacement parts, and it is generally impossible to receive power from these. It becomes difficult. Furthermore, depending on the condition of the surface of the fuel tank to which the light emitting element is attached, the trunk for transporting replacement parts, etc., the light from the light emitting element may not be detected reliably.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) As described above, it is important to accurately obtain three-dimensional information of a target in work automation, but in the conventional three-dimensional position/orientation detection method, power is supplied from the target. It was difficult to employ those who were unable to do so. Furthermore, depending on the condition of the surface of the target object, there is a possibility that the light from the light emitting element cannot be reliably detected.

Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a three-dimensional information detection target that can be used even if the target object cannot receive power supply, and that can detect light from a light emitting element with high reliability. shall be.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a solar cell element on the surface of a target base having a plurality of light emitting elements, and attaches the solar cell element to the target base. The structure is such that it is used as the surface color of the base and as a power source for the light emitting element.

(Function) When light hits the target base, the solar cell element provided on its surface generates electric power and the light emitting element emits light. Further, since the solar cell elements surrounding the light emitting element are black, the light emitting element can be easily detected by capturing the light emitting element with a camera, and three-dimensional information of the target can be obtained with high reliability.

(Example) The present invention will be explained in detail below.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a three-dimensional information detection target according to an embodiment of the present invention. The target base 1 of this three-dimensional information detection target has multiple points, for example, 5 points.
Point light emitting elements 3a, 3b.

3c, 3d, and 3e. Four points 3a to 3d of the light emitting elements 3a to 3o are arranged near the surface corners of the target base 1, and a line segment connecting each point has a rectangular shape. The remaining light emitting elements 3e are provided at the tip of a ball 5 which is placed perpendicularly to the surface of the target base 1 at the center of the four light emitting elements 3a to 3d. Further, a plurality of solar cell elements 7 are closely attached to the surface of the target base 1, and the solar cell elements 7 and the six light emitting elements 3a to 3e are electrically connected. Therefore, the solar cell element 7 is the target base 1
It forms the surface color of the light emitting elements 3a to 3e and serves as a power source for the light emitting elements 3a to 3e.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a three-dimensional information detection method implementing a three-dimensional information detection target according to an embodiment of the present invention. This three-dimensional information detection method includes a COD camera 9 and a computer 11. Calculation I! 11 includes a light emitting element detection circuit 13, a screen self-position detection circuit 15, a buffer memory 17, and a microprocessor 19.

Next, the action will be explained.

First, the target shown in Figure 1 is attached to the object to be handled by the robot. The target is then illuminated by a light attached to the robot or a light placed around the object. Then, the solar cell element 7 of the target base 1 generates electric power, and the five light emitting elements 3a to 3e emit light. Here, the CCD camera 9 captures the light emitting elements 3a to 3e, and inputs the video signal output to the light emitting element detection circuit 13. The light emitting element detection circuit 13 utilizes the fact that the black of the solar cell element 7 is the surface color of the target base 1, and uses the contrast between this black color and the high luminous intensity of the light emitting elements 3a to 3θ to detect the light emitting elements from the video signal. 3a to 3e are detected. Therefore, the light emitting elements 3a to 3e can be easily detected with high reliability.

When the light emitting elements 3a to 3e are detected, their positions within the screen are calculated by the screen self-position detection circuit 15.

Then, the result is written into the buffer memory 17.

The data in the buffer memory 17 can be accessed from the microprocessor 19 through the bus, and the microprocessor 19 reads the positions of the light emitting elements 3a to 3θ on the monitor screen from the buffer memory 17, and determines the two-dimensional positions of these multiple points on the screen. Inverse projection calculations are performed to find each three-dimensional position. Also, the attitude of the target base 1 is determined from these three-dimensional positions. In this way, the three-dimensional position, distance, orientation, etc. of the object can be easily determined with high reliability. That is, when the target object is a fuel tank or a trunk for transporting replacement parts, the fuel inside is transported and unloaded, and the tank and trunk are reused, the light emitting elements 3a to 3e supply power from these. However, power can be supplied by the solar cell element 7, and the three-dimensional position, distance, attitude, etc. of these tanks, trunks, etc. can be detected. Furthermore, since the black color of the solar cell element 7 becomes the surface color of the target base 1, the light emitting elements 3a to 3e can be detected with high accuracy even when the intensity of reflected light on the surface of a tank or trunk is high.

By providing the light emitting element 3θ at the tip of the ball 5, the inclination in the direction perpendicular to the screen can also be determined with high accuracy. However, this is not always necessary.

Next, by using LEDs that emit light in a specific color for each of the light emitting elements 3a to 3e, the light emitting elements 3a to 3e can be easily detected with higher reliability. That is, in the light-emitting element detection circuit 13, the video signal output from the CCD camera 9 is separated into Y/C, and the light-emitting element is detected not only for the luminance signal but also for the color signal, but is not detected for other color signals. By using the combination of the detection results, the light emitting elements 3a to 3e can be detected with higher accuracy.

Further, if each of the six light emitting elements 3a to 3e is caused to emit light at a specific period using an IC, the light emitting elements 3a to 3e can be detected more accurately and easily. That is, the six light emitting elements 3a to 3e repeat detection and non-detection according to their respective light emission cycles. The light-emitting element detection circuit 13 recognizes points that are repeatedly detected and non-detected at a specific cycle from the light-emitting element detection results of multiple fields of the video signal as the light-emitting elements 3a to 3e, thereby making it possible to detect them more accurately and easily. can.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above, according to the configuration of the present invention, the three-dimensional information of objects that cannot be supplied with electricity, such as fuel tanks and trunks for transporting replacement parts, can be easily detected with high accuracy. becomes possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a three-dimensional information detection target according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional information detection method. 1...Target bases 3a to 3e...Light emitting element 7...Solar cell element

Claims (1)

[Claims] A target for detecting three-dimensional information, characterized in that a solar cell element is provided on the surface of a target base having a plurality of light emitting elements, and the solar cell element is used as the surface color of the target base and as a power source for the light emitting element. .