Hand-Mounted Visual Odometry for Industrial Machine Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for controlling industrial machines through human operator movement face challenges such as processing delays, lack of haptic feedback, tracking inaccuracies, and inability to handle unexpected operator movements or environmental conditions like noise and poor lighting, which can lead to safety hazards and equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that monitors the movement of a human operator's hand using a hand-mounted camera for visual odometry and a fixed camera for image processing, providing control signals to the industrial machine based on position and modality data from finger interactions, with a processing module that fuses data to ensure accurate and safe machine operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a monitor tracks body movement to control industrial machines, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to processing delays and tracking inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the control function into multiple independent components: a monitor for tracking body movement, a processor for translating movements to control signals, and a machine controller for executing commands. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, improving overall reliability while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that acts as a mediator between the operator's body movements and the machine control. This intermediary includes calibration mechanisms and translation algorithms that compensate for tracking inaccuracies and processing delays, thereby improving reliability without compromising the natural ease of movement-based control.
2Reliability
If the operator is located in sufficient distance to avoid collision, then the safety is improved, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to tracking inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct mechanical control elements (knobs, handles, buttons) with a vision-based monitoring system that tracks body movement optically. This substitution allows the operator to be positioned at a safe distance while maintaining precise measurement of movement intent through computer vision algorithms and image processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from direct physical interaction (3D mechanical contact) to optical field interaction (2D image plane tracking). By capturing movement in multiple camera views and reconstructing 3D position data from 2D images, the system maintains measurement precision while enabling safe remote operation.
3Productivity
If the monitor translates body movements to machine movements in real-time, then the productivity is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to unexpected movements and lack of haptic feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration of the operator's body movements against the machine's control requirements before actual operation. This calibration phase establishes accurate translation parameters and safety boundaries, enabling real-time productivity while preventing unexpected or dangerous movements during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the monitor system continuously tracks body movement and provides real-time translation to machine control signals. The system includes validation logic that verifies translated movements against pre-established safety parameters, providing implicit feedback that prevents unreliable control actions while maintaining high-speed real-time operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system obtains a control signal to control the operation of an industrial machine. The system monitors the movement of a human operator. A position monitor module determines position data for at least one hand of the human operator. A processing module receives position data from the position monitor module and provides the control signal to the industrial machine to let the industrial machine move according to the position data. The position monitor module is associated with an image capturing device that is mounted on the hand of the human operator. A further processing module calculates the position data by visual odometry based on images captured by the image capturing device.