Safe Control of Manufacturing Vehicles Research Towards Standard Test Methods

The National Institute of Standards and Technology‟s Intelligent Systems Division has been researching several areas leading to safe control of manufacturing vehicles to improve automated guided vehicle (AGV) safety standards. The research areas include: AGV safety and control based on advanced two-dimensional (2D) sensors that detect moving standard test pieces representing humans; Ability of advanced 3D imaging sensors, when mounted to an AGV or forklift, to detect stationary or moving objects and test pieces on the ground or hanging over the work area; and Manned forklift safety based on advanced 3D imaging sensors that detect visible and non-visible regions for forklift operators. Experiments and results in the above areas are presented in this paper. The experimental results will be used to develop and recommend standard test methods, some of which are proposed in this paper, and to improve the standard stopping distance exception language and operator blind spot language in AGV standards

Orientation Uncertainty Characteristics of Some Pose Measuring Systems

We investigate the performance of pose measuring systems which determine an object’s pose from measurement of a few fiducial markers attached to the object. Such systems use point-based, rigid body registration to get the orientation matrix. Uncertainty in the fiducials’ measurement propagates to the uncertainty of the orientation matrix. This orientation uncertainty then propagates to points on the object’s surface. This propagation is anisotropic, and the direction along which the uncertainty is the smallest is determined by the eigenvector associated with the largest eigenvalue of the orientation data’s covariance matrix. This eigenvector in the coordinate frame defined by the fiducials remains almost fixed for any rotation of the object. However, the remaining two eigenvectors vary widely and the direction along which the propagated uncertainty is the largest cannot be determined from the object’s pose. Conditions that result in such a behavior and practical consequences of it are presented

3D Ground-Truth Systems for Object/Human Recognition and Tracking

Abstract We have been researching three dimensional (3D

Terrain Characterization from Ground-Based LADAR

Test runs of Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL) autonomous vehicle (Experimental Unmanned Vehicle, XUV) were followed by the acquisition of high resolution scans of selected regions of the test course. These scans were used to i) determine terrain features (e.g., heavy vegetation, ditches, etc.) which may hamper the autonomous navigation of the XUV and ii) develop the ability to quantify terrain features such as vegetation or roughness. Those tasks require determination of “ground ” or “bare earth”, which is a major issue of ongoing research into terrain characterization. Point clouds collected by ground-based LADAR (laser distance and ranging) pose a particular challenge because they are extremely dense in close proximity to the instrument and progressively sparse at larger distances. This work focuses on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) procedures for ground determination and the development of gauges for vegetation coverage and slope variability. Keywords: autonomous vehicle, ground, LADAR, slope analysis, terrain characterization, triangulated irregular networks, vegetation coverage, vehicle mobility. 1

Summary of NIST's Efforts to Develop Protocols for the Performance Evaluation of 3D Imaging Systems

Abstract: This paper presents a synopsis of the effort at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop standard protocols for the performance evaluation of 3D Imaging Systems. A 3D imaging system is an instrument used to measure rapidly the 3D coordinates of points on an object or within a scene. The effort toward developing standard protocols for performance evaluation began with a workshop at NIST in 2003. Since the 2003 workshop, three other workshops have been held at NIST with the latest one on March 2-3, 2006. The objectives of the NIST workshops were to provide a forum for sharing and discussing efforts in the evaluation of 3D imaging systems and to determine the needs of the 3D imaging community. One outcome of the 2006 workshop was the selection of a standards development organization (SDO) to host the standard protocols for 3D imaging systems

ABSTRACT Some Issues Relating to Performance Evaluation of LADARs 1

The use and scope of LADAR applications continues to expand as the technology matures. This growth is reflected in NIST’s experience with research into the applications of LADARs for construction, manufacturing, and autonomous vehicle navigation. However, standard protocols or procedures for calibrating and testing of LADARs have yet to be developed. Because selections of LADAR instruments are generally based on the manufacturer’s specifications, the availability of standard test procedures would promote more uniform definitions of these specifications and provide a basis for a more rational decision. Consequently, NIST’s Construction Metrology and Automation Group (CMAG) has conducted exploratory experiments to characterize the performance of a LADAR. The experiences gained in these efforts are summarized in this paper. These experiences also pointed to the need for an internal calibration/testing facility at NIST, as well as to the need for the development of uniform specifications and test procedures for LADARs. As a result, NIST convened a workshop on the establishment of a LADAR calibration facility. A discussion of some of the issues relating to the performance evaluation of LADARs and facility requirements is also presented in this paper. Keywords: Beam spread, calibration, correlation, LADAR, performance evaluation, range measurements, standardization

FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF LASER SCANNING FOR EXCAVATION MEASUREMENT †

Abstract: The use of a scanning laser to measure terrain changes due to excavation at a construction site is described. The objective at this phase of the project is to develop the tools necessary to measure terrain changes in real-time. This paper focuses on adaptations required to extend previously developed scanning procedures and post-processing algorithms for an indoor laboratory environment to a large outdoor area such as a construction site. The challenges encountered, techniques that worked or didn’t work, and lessons learned are discussed

Proposed E57.02 range measurement performance standard for medium-range 3D imaging systems

In this article, we present the proposed standard ASTM E57.02 \u201cTest Method to Evaluate the Range Measurement Performance of 3D Imaging Systems in the Medium Range\u201d (Work Item ASTM WK12373). The stated purpose of the standard is to provide metrics and procedures to evaluate the range measurement performance of medium-range (2 m to 150 m working distance) noncontact three-dimensional (3D) imaging systems. We provide a summary of the document to date, the proposed test methods, and the current status of the proposed standard. As an example, we also present some preliminary results of experiments performed at the National Research Council Canada (NRCC).Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye