27,596 research outputs found
Robust visual servoing in 3d reaching tasks
This paper describes a novel approach to the problem of reaching an object in space under visual guidance. The approach is characterized by a great robustness to calibration errors, such that virtually no calibration is required. Servoing is based on binocular vision: a continuous measure of the end-effector motion field, derived from real-time computation of the binocular optical flow over the stereo images, is compared with the actual position of the target and the relative error in the end-effector trajectory is continuously corrected. The paper outlines the general framework of the approach, shows how visual measures are obtained and discusses the synthesis of the controller along with its stability analysis. Real-time experiments are presented to show the applicability of the approach in real 3-D applications
Using a 3DOF Parallel Robot and a Spherical Bat to hit a Ping-Pong Ball
Playing the game of Ping-Pong is a challenge to human abilities since it requires developing skills, such as fast reaction capabilities, precision of movement and high speed mental responses. These processes include the utilization of seven DOF of the human arm, and translational movements through the legs, torso, and other extremities of the body, which are used for developing different game strategies or simply imposing movements that affect the ball such as spinning movements. Computationally, Ping-Pong requires a huge quantity of joints and visual information to be processed and analysed, something which really represents a challenge for a robot. In addition, in order for a robot to develop the task mechanically, it requires a large and dexterous workspace, and good dynamic capacities. Although there are commercial robots that are able to play Ping-Pong, the game is still an open task, where there are problems to be solved and simplified. All robotic Ping-Pong players cited in the bibliography used at least four DOF to hit the ball. In this paper, a spherical bat mounted on a 3-DOF parallel robot is proposed. The spherical bat is used to drive the trajectory of a Ping-Pong ball.Fil: Trasloheros, Alberto. Universidad Aeronáutica de Querétaro; MéxicoFil: Sebastián, José María. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; EspañaFil: Torrijos, Jesús. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; EspañaFil: Carelli Albarracin, Ricardo Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Automática. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; ArgentinaFil: Roberti, Flavio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Automática. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; Argentin
The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) Spectrographs
We describe the design and performance of the near-infrared (1.51--1.70
micron), fiber-fed, multi-object (300 fibers), high resolution (R =
lambda/delta lambda ~ 22,500) spectrograph built for the Apache Point
Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). APOGEE is a survey of ~
10^5 red giant stars that systematically sampled all Milky Way populations
(bulge, disk, and halo) to study the Galaxy's chemical and kinematical history.
It was part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) from 2011 -- 2014
using the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at Apache Point Observatory, New
Mexico. The APOGEE-2 survey is now using the spectrograph as part of SDSS-IV,
as well as a second spectrograph, a close copy of the first, operating at the
2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Although several
fiber-fed, multi-object, high resolution spectrographs have been built for
visual wavelength spectroscopy, the APOGEE spectrograph is one of the first
such instruments built for observations in the near-infrared. The instrument's
successful development was enabled by several key innovations, including a
"gang connector" to allow simultaneous connections of 300 fibers; hermetically
sealed feedthroughs to allow fibers to pass through the cryostat wall
continuously; the first cryogenically deployed mosaic volume phase holographic
grating; and a large refractive camera that includes mono-crystalline silicon
and fused silica elements with diameters as large as ~ 400 mm. This paper
contains a comprehensive description of all aspects of the instrument including
the fiber system, optics and opto-mechanics, detector arrays, mechanics and
cryogenics, instrument control, calibration system, optical performance and
stability, lessons learned, and design changes for the second instrument.Comment: 81 pages, 67 figures, PASP, accepte
Nuclear Bar, Star Formation and Gas Fueling in the Active Galaxy NGC 4303
A combination of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 and NICMOS images are
used to investigate the gas/dust and stellar structure inside the central 300
pc of the nearby active galaxy NGC 4303.
The NICMOS H-band (F160W) image reveals a bright core and a nuclear elongated
bar-like structure of 250 pc in diameter. The bar is centered on the bright
core, and its major axis is oriented in proyection along the spin axis of the
nuclear gaseous rotating disk recently detected (Colina & Arribas 1999).
The V-H (F606W - F160W) image reveals a complex gas/dust distribution with a
two-arm spiral structure of about 225 pc in radius. The southwestern arm is
traced by young star-forming knots while the northeastern arm is detected by
the presence of dust lanes. These spirals do not have a smooth structure but
rather they are made of smaller flocculent spirals or filament-like structures.
The magnitudes and colors of the star-forming knots are typical of clusters of
young stars with masses of 0.5 to 1 x yr^{-1} for about 80 Myr.Comment: ApJ, in press (February 1, 2000
Two-dimensional homography-based correction of positional errors in widefield MRT images
A steradian of the southern sky has been imaged at 151.5 MHz using the
Mauritius Radio Telescope (MRT). These images show systematics in positional
errors of sources when compared to source positions in the Molonglo Reference
Catalogue (MRC). We have applied two-dimensional homography to correct for
systematic positional errors in the image domain and thereby avoid
re-processing the visibility data. Positions of bright (above 15-{\sigma})
point sources, common to MRT catalogue and MRC, are used to set up an
over-determined system to solve for the homography matrix. After correction the
errors are found to be within 10% of the beamwidth for these bright sources and
the systematics are eliminated from the images. This technique will be of
relevance to the new generation radio telescopes where, owing to huge data
rates, only images after a certain integration would be recorded as opposed to
raw visibilities. It is also interesting to note how our investigations cued to
possible errors in the array geometry. The analysis of positional errors of
sources showed that MRT images are stretched in declination by ~1 part in 1000.
This translates to a compression of the baseline scale in the visibility
domain. The array geometry was re-estimated using the astrometry principle. The
estimates show an error of ~1 mm/m, which results in an error of about half a
wavelength at 150 MHz for a 1 km north-south baseline. The estimates also
indicate that the east-west arm is inclined by an angle of ~40 arcsec to the
true east-west direction.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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