Simultaneous Localization and Calibration Employing Two Flying Cameras

A simultaneous localization and calibration system (SLAC) by using two flying cameras is proposed in this research. The main purpose of the proposed system is to calibrate the transformation between an active 3D camera and a mobile manipulator. The system can be applied to resolve the problem of fixed workspace and expand the workspace in automated picking and assembly systems for a variety of objects. The transformations among the mobile manipulator, the working platform, and the active 3D camera can be determined by using Extended Kalman Filtering - Simultaneous Localization and Calibration (EKF-SLAC) through estimation of positions of feature points in the world frame based on two flying cameras. After estimating the transformations, two mobile platforms, each with the manipulator and the 3D camera, respectively, are controlled to move around the working platform. Finally, experimental results are provided to validate the performance of the approach developed in this paper.