Image-based visual servoing for power transmission line inspection robot. (6th April 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fu, S.Y.; Hou, Z.G.; Liang, Z.Z.; Tan, M.; Jing, F.S.; Zuo, Q.; Zhang, Y.C.
• Is Part Of: International journal of modelling, identification and control. Volume 6:Number 3(2009)
• Page Start: 239
• Page End: 254
• Publication Date: 2009-04-06
• Subjects: visual servoing -- powerline inspection -- inspection robots -- line extraction -- vision based navigation -- robot vision -- robot navigation -- image features -- robot pose -- robot motion; Engineering -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Science -- Methodology -- Periodicals; 001.42
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1746-6172

Abstract

This paper describes a vision-based system for a powerline inspection robot. The main emphasis of this paper is on an image-based visual servoing strategy for driving the robot arm toward a desired configuration in order to grasp the line. The method skips the step of transferring image features back to robot pose, and hence makes driving arm motion plans directly in the image plane, providing a 'visual' trajectory in the image plane for the gripper to track and locate the phase line and related obstacles in an effort to make the robot body to align with the phase line. A proportional control law with a dead zone is given to achieve the driving wheel and powerline alignment operation. Experimental results using an inspection robot platform are presented, showing that good servoing can be achieved using the proposed controller of the vision system.