Coordination of a prototyped manipulator based on an experimental visuo-motor model

This paper presents a strategy to build an experimental visuo-motor model for a manipulator coupled to a binocular vision system, which discards any previous algebraic model and any calibration of either the manipulator or the vision system. The space spanned by a set of selected image features is divided in regions, and the estimated visuo-motor model is represented by a matrix of constant elements associated to each one of such regions. Such matrices are obtained in an incremental way, starting from commands of movement and using the measurements of the variations they cause in the set of image features. Even when partially filled in, the visuo-motor model can be used for coordinating the manipulator in order to get its end-effector closer to an object and to grasp it. Preliminary results got from the implementation of the proposed strategy in a prototyped manipulator coupled to a binocular vision system are also presented.