Vision Tracking System and Method Using Distance Sensors

Vision Tracking System Combining Distance Sensor Feedforward and Vision Feedback

This technology is a vision tracking system and method that separates a mobile first body from a second body equipped with a vision sensor. It maintains target tracking performance by compensating for the movement of the first body using distance sensor-based feedforward control combined with feedback signals from the vision sensor.

Previously, vibrations or sudden directional changes during the operation of mobile robots caused targets to move out of the field of view of vision sensors fixed to the same body, or resulted in motion blur, leading to reduced recognition accuracy.

This technology proposes a system that detects the movement and rotation of the first body using distance sensors to drive the second body in the opposite direction via a feedforward control system, while simultaneously integrating feedback signals from the vision sensor itself. This allows for real-time correction of the second body's position and orientation, enabling stable target tracking. Applicable to patrol robots, mobile filming equipment, and logistics robots, it significantly enhances the practicality of robot vision systems by maintaining target tracking even during driving vibrations and sharp turns.

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Key Features:

• Distance sensor that detects movement, including the translation and rotation of the first body, to generate signals for feedforward control
• Controller that receives signals from the distance sensor to generate control signals for driving the second body
• Actuator that drives the second body, to which the vision sensor is attached, according to the controller's control signals
• Configuration that generates control signals by utilizing distance sensor signals as feedforward signals and vision sensor signals as feedback signals

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for the development of u-Robot HRI solutions and core component technologies.