Minimalist Light Striping for a Mobile Robot

This paper describes an actual laser light striper and associated image processing hardware for use onboard a mobile robot. The sensor is used to locate soda cans in the robot’s immediate environment, and to guide the robot toward a suitable grasping position. We explain the design tradeoffs involved in the construction of a portable sensor, present an alignment and approach strategy for grasping objects, and discuss the system’s overall performance and limitations. © 1990, SPIE.