Hand-Eye Coordination for Robotic Assembly Tasks

This paper addresses issues related to the design and implementation of robotic assembly tasks. Specifically, we consider automatic assembly systems with real-time visual sensing for the back shells of cellular phones. Typically, industrial assembly tasks are accomplished using either the look-then-move open-loop or the look-and-move closed-loop control approach. For either approach, successful assembly requires that issues concerned with task accuracy must be considered based on camera calibration parameters. For the hand-eye robotic system to operate in real-time, one must adopt an appropriate control structure to maximize task efficiency. Simple and repetitive assembly tasks can be performed quickly through look-then-move open-loop controls. However, relatively slower look-and-move closed-loop control approaches are better suited for complex tasks or those requiring greater flexibility. To accomplish automatic assembly tasks with real-time visual sensing, either eye-to-hand or eye-in-hand vision must be employed. The proposed vision-based control approaches for back shell assembly tasks are likely to have real potential in industrial manufacturing applications.