Robot programming by human demonstration with random pattern projection

In this paper, we propose a simple and easy method for robot teaching. It is based on ¿teaching-by-showing¿ technique with a structured light approach. In this method, the first step of the teaching procedure is the camera and projector calibration. The second step is a demonstration of manipulation of an object by a human operator in front of the robot with random pattern projection. The third step is obtaining range images of the object with the help of the projected pattern, and calculating the position and orientation of the object from the range images. In this way, we can obtain the demonstrated path of the object and a robot motion to reproduce it. We examined the accuracy of range images and obtained positions and orientations of the object. In teaching experiments, the robot reproduced a path demonstrated by a human operator successfully by using our proposed method.