Image based autodocking without calibration

Abstract

The calibration requirements for visual servoing can make it difficult to apply in many real-world situations. One approach to image-based visual servoing without calibration is to dynamically estimate the image Jacobian and use it as the basis for control. However, with the normal motion of a robot toward the goal, the estimation of the image Jacobian deteriorates over time. The authors propose the use of additional exploratory motion to considerably improve the estimation of the image Jacobian. They study the role of such exploratory motion in a visual servoing task. Simulations and experiments with a 6-DOF robot are used to verify the practical feasibility of the approach.