Exploiting Visual Constraints in Robot Motion Planning

This paper addresses a number of issues concerning the integration of visual and physical constraints f o r the synthesis and execution of error-tolerant mot ion strategies. Object features and their projections onto the image plane of a supervisory camera are used t o define visual constraint surfaces. These visual constraint surfaces can be directly used t o enforce the following types of constrained motion: mot ion terminated o n contact with a visual constraint surface, mot ion maintaining constant contact with a visual constraint surface, and motion that i s simultaneously constrained by both visual and physical constraint surfaces. Existing preimage planning techniques are extended f o r synthesis of motion strategies that eaploit these types of motion.