Abstract: One embodiment can provide a computer-vision system. The computer-vision system can include one or more cameras to capture images of a scene and one or more sets of single-color light sources to illuminate the scene, with a respective set of light sources comprising multiple single-color light sources of different colors. The multiple single-color light sources within a given set can be turned on sequentially, one at a time. The cameras can capture an image of the scene each time the scene is illuminated by a respective single-color light source of a particular color.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a method and system for configuring a robotic system. During operation, the system can present to a user on a graphical user interface an image of a work scene comprising a plurality of components and receive, from the user, a sequence of operation commands. A respective operation command can correspond to a pixel location in the image. For each operation command, the system can determine, based on the image, a task to be performed at a corresponding location in the work scene and generate a directed graph based on the received sequence of operation commands. Each node in the directed graph can correspond to a task, and each directed edge in the directed graph can correspond to a task-performing order, thereby facilitating the robotic system to perform a sequence of tasks based on the sequence of operation commands.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a method and system for reducing latency in capturing three-dimensional (3D) images. During operation, the system may configure a camera to capture a two-dimensional (2D) image of a scene and perform a machine learning-based object-detection operation on the 2D image to generate a number of bounding boxes, with a respective bounding box corresponding to an object in the scene. The system may further configure the camera to operate in a region of interest (ROI) mode and setting one or more ROI areas based on the generated bounding boxes and configure the camera to capture one or more 3D images of the scene while operating in the ROI mode.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a machine-vision system that includes one or more stereo-vision modules. A respective stereo-vision module can include a structured-light projector, a first camera positioned on a first side of the structured-light projector, and a second camera positioned on a second side of the structured-light projector. The first and second cameras are configured to capture images of an object under illumination by the structured-light projector. The structured-light projector can include a laser-based light source and an optical modulator configured to reduce speckles caused by the laser-based light source.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a robotic system. The system can include a machine-vision module, a robotic arm comprising an end-effector, and a robotic controller configured to control movements of the robotic arm to move a component held by the end-effector from an initial pose to a target pose. While controlling the movements of the robotic arm, the robotic controller can be configured to move the component in a plurality of steps. Displacement of the component in each step is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum displacement value.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a robotic system. The robotic system can include a robotic arm comprising an end-effector, a robotic controller configured to control movements of the robotic arm, and a dual-resolution computer-vision system. The dual-resolution computer-vision system can include a low-resolution three-dimensional (3D) camera module and a high-resolution 3D camera module. The low-resolution 3D camera module and the high-resolution 3D camera module can be arranged in such a way that a viewing region of the high-resolution 3D camera module is located inside a viewing region of the low-resolution 3D camera module, thereby allowing the dual-resolution computer-vision system to provide 3D visual information associated with the end-effector in two different resolutions when at least a portion of the end-effector enters the viewing region of the high-resolution camera module.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a robotic system. The system can include a machine-vision module, a robotic arm comprising an end-effector, a robotic controller configured to control movements of the robotic arm, and an error-compensation module configured to compensate for pose errors of the robotic arm by determining a controller-desired pose corresponding to a camera-instructed pose of the end-effector such that, when the robotic controller controls the movements of the robotic arm based on the controller-desired pose, the end-effector achieves, as observed by the machine-vision module, the camera-instructed pose. The error-compensation module can include a machine learning model configured to output an error matrix that correlates the camera-instructed pose to the controller-desired pose.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a robotic system. The robotic system can include a robotic arm comprising an end-effector, an illumination unit comprising a plurality of single-color light sources of different colors, a structured-light projector to project codified light patterns onto a scene, one or more cameras to capture pseudo-color images of the scene illuminated by the single-color light sources of different colors and images of the scene with the projected codified light patterns, a pose-determination unit to determine a pose of a component based on the pseudo-color images and the images of the scene with the projected codified light patterns, a path-planning unit to generate a motion plan for the end-effector based on the determined pose of the component and a current pose of the end-effector, and a robotic controller to control movement of the end-effector according to the motion plan to allow the end-effector to grasp the component.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a method and system for configuring a robotic system. During operation, the system can present to a user on a graphical user interface an image of a work scene comprising a plurality of components and receive, from the user, a sequence of operation commands. A respective operation command can correspond to a pixel location in the image. For each operation command, the system can determine, based on the image, a task to be performed at a corresponding location in the work scene and generate a directed graph based on the received sequence of operation commands. Each node in the directed graph can correspond to a task, and each directed edge in the directed graph can correspond to a task-performing order, thereby facilitating the robotic system to perform a sequence of tasks based on the sequence of operation commands.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a computer-vision system. The computer-vision system can include one or more cameras to capture images of a scene and one or more sets of single-color light sources to illuminate the scene, with a respective set of light sources comprising multiple single-color light sources of different colors. The multiple single-color light sources within a given set can be turned on sequentially, one at a time. The cameras can capture an image of the scene each time the scene is illuminated by a respective single-color light source of a particular color.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a robotic system. The robotic system can include a robotic arm comprising an end-effector, a robotic controller configured to control movements of the robotic arm, and a dual-resolution computer-vision system. The dual-resolution computer-vision system can include a low-resolution three-dimensional (3D) camera module and a high-resolution 3D camera module. The low-resolution 3D camera module and the high-resolution 3D camera module can be arranged in such a way that a viewing region of the high-resolution 3D camera module is located inside a viewing region of the low-resolution 3D camera module, thereby allowing the dual-resolution computer-vision system to provide 3D visual information associated with the end-effector in two different resolutions when at least a portion of the end-effector enters the viewing region of the high-resolution camera module.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a robotic system. The system can include a machine-vision module, a robotic arm comprising an end-effector, a robotic controller configured to control movements of the robotic arm, and an error-compensation module configured to compensate for pose errors of the robotic arm by determining a controller-desired pose corresponding to a camera-instructed pose of the end-effector such that, when the robotic controller controls the movements of the robotic arm based on the controller-desired pose, the end-effector achieves, as observed by the machine-vision module, the camera-instructed pose. The error-compensation module can include a machine learning model configured to output an error matrix that correlates the camera-instructed pose to the controller-desired pose.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a robotic system. The system can include a machine-vision module, a robotic arm comprising an end-effector, and a robotic controller configured to control movements of the robotic arm to move a component held by the end-effector from an initial pose to a target pose. While controlling the movements of the robotic arm, the robotic controller can be configured to move the component in a plurality of steps. Displacement of the component in each step is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum displacement value.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide an intelligent robotic system. The intelligent robotic system can include at least one multi-axis robotic arm, at least one gripper attached to the multi-axis robotic arm for picking up a component, a machine vision system comprising at least a three-dimensional (3D) surfacing-imaging module for detecting 3D pose information associated with the component, and a control module configured to control movements of the multi-axis robotic arm and the gripper based on the detected 3D pose of the component.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a machine-vision system. The machine-vision system can include a structured-light projector, a first camera positioned on a first side of the structured-light projector, and a second camera positioned on a second side of the structured-light projector. The first and second cameras are configured to capture images under illumination of the structured-light projector. The structured-light projector can include a laser-based light source.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide a machine-vision system. The machine-vision system can include a structured-light projector, a first camera positioned on a first side of the structured-light projector, and a second camera positioned on a second side of the structured-light projector. The first and second cameras are configured to capture images under illumination of the structured-light projector. The structured-light projector can include a laser-based light source.