The article describes the technology of developing the software for real-time vision systems. The article shows the position of this technology in the existing software tools. This technology is based on a unified software framework. This framework is an application model that implements the input and processing of the real time visual data. The framework structure provides prompt reprocessing for use in specific application tasks and is focused on the real time visual data processing. The article provides examples of vision systems based on the described framework. In addition, as the analysis shows, this framework can be jointly used with the ROS software through processing as a part of a separate ROS node.

In the work there is analyzed a process of developing and arranging information support systems of mobile vehicles with the enhanced autonomous level and fully autonomous. There are reviewed current trends in creating this sort of systems. In order to increase the effectiveness of processes of creating intellectual autopilots it is proposed to introduce into the review the space of similar systems configuration. The space axes are: sensors, models of environment, and algorithmic support. The points of this space are “assemblage points” of particular application systems. The configuration space enables to efficiently resolve the process of creating information support systems with the help of compliance matrixes, evaluate possible options of arranging the particular system. There are proposed solutions on components per each axis of the configuration space. As the basis for mobile means information systems the real time multifunctional vision systems and software-hardware unification is proposed. In terms of the hardware components, there are reviewed, in detail, arrangements of real time vision systems. The construction of external world models is proposed to establish on the interpreting navigation concept. In terms of algorithmic support, the combination of the split-level processing algorithms is proposed to implement based on large-scale frames and unification of software implementations. Examples of using the above-described approaches and solutions are presented.

The design and researches of spherical direct drive actuators control systems focused on execution of precise and fast movements in structure of mobile robots information systems are described. The mathematical models of electrical and magnetic fields in these drives are derived, and variants of the control algorithms are considered. Effective control algorithms, based on the analysis and use of the mathematical models of all factors rendering influence to the control procedure are offered. Results of experiments on the working samples of spherical direct drives actuators are described, the recommendations for their further perfection, development and possible applications, are given.

The paper presents the results in controlling the robot manipulator handling the moving object of various types. Two series of experiments were carried out using the rod swinging on the bifilar suspension, and the tennis balls swinging as spherical pendulums. The main part of the experiments with the rod was devoted to finding efficient ways for its fast and reliable capturing. The experiments with the ball were focused on modifying the motion of the ball in such a way for its orbit has the desirable parameters. In particular, the ball was directed to reach the motionless target placed inside the working space, or perform a rendezvous with another ball having an independent free motion. The TV camera supplied the computer with the visual data of the scene. The dynamical models of the motion of the objects were used for statistical processing the visual data and determining the parameters of the motion. These parameters were used for controlling the robot.

The paper contents description of the experiments on capturing the moving object by means of a robot manipulator RM-01 (like PUMA 560) with vision system. The object to be grasped is the rod on a bifilar suspension. The upper ends of the fibers are attached to the stable beam which holds a TV camera connected to a computer. Data processing results in the coordinates of the end points of the rod. The algorithm developed gives the possibility to obtain up to 25 pairs of end points per second. The data are subjected to statistical analysis taking into account the dynamic model of the rod motion. The results obtained for the 0.5 s interval allow us to calculate the initial conditions of the rod motion and to predict the motion to several seconds ahead. Analysis of the predicted motion allows us to determine the proper moment of capture, and the position of the manipulator grip at that moment. The capture is implemented in 2-5 s after the start of the process, within 1-2 periods of longitudinal and lateral modes of the rod oscillation.

The authors describe algorithms and hardware for an automatic output check system for liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing. A TV camera and a high-speed video processor with a data flow architecture are presented. The main algorithmic difficulty on the LCD check problem is detection of small defects in real-time. To do this, the algorithm utilizing a priori information was designed. The methods used for functional LCD check do not require any human interference for its application to new LCD types.>