Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US9197800B2/en
Timestamp: 2020-01-19 19:42:41
Document Index: 433122630

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 61', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 33', 'application No. 11842874']

US9197800B2 - Imaging robot - Google Patents
Imaging robot Download PDF
US9197800B2
US9197800B2 US13/989,454 US201113989454A US9197800B2 US 9197800 B2 US9197800 B2 US 9197800B2 US 201113989454 A US201113989454 A US 201113989454A US 9197800 B2 US9197800 B2 US 9197800B2
US13/989,454
US20130242137A1 (en
RESOLUTION ART Inc
2011-11-23 Application filed by RESOLUTION ART Inc filed Critical RESOLUTION ART Inc
2011-11-23 Priority to US13/989,454 priority patent/US9197800B2/en
2011-11-23 Priority to PCT/CA2011/001289 priority patent/WO2012068675A1/en
2013-05-24 Assigned to RESOLUTION ART INC. reassignment RESOLUTION ART INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KIRKLAND, LESTER
2013-09-19 Publication of US20130242137A1 publication Critical patent/US20130242137A1/en
2015-11-24 Publication of US9197800B2 publication Critical patent/US9197800B2/en
This application is the national stage entry of International Appl. No. PCT/CA2011/001289, filed Nov. 23, 2011, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/417,249, filed Nov. 25, 2010. All claims of priority to these applications are hereby made, and each of these applications is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
High-definition imaging is becoming more and more common. Applications of high-definition imaging vary greatly. One such application is digitization of two-dimensional art as for museums, art galleries, and private collectors. The main purpose of art digitization is to capture an accurate and detailed high-definition image of two-dimensional art, to be able to restore the art to its previous condition in case of a damage. Art is also digitized for viewing, maintenance, and/or insurance purposes.
The level of detail available from a single digital photo of a work of art is limited by a number of pixels in the camera sensor. A typical digital camera sensor has a two-dimensional array of approximately 2000×3000 pixels, or 6 megapixels. A very sophisticated camera could have as many as approximately 10,000×6,000 pixels, or 60 megapixels. Even a 60-megapixel camera photographing a 2 meters×1 meter piece of art would yield only 10,000/2,000 cm=5 sampling points per cm of the art, which is not nearly sufficient to satisfy exacting requirements of a museum's conservation department. To digitize the art at a sufficient resolution higher than that of a digital camera, sophisticated flatbed scanners, operating similar to regular document or photo scanners, have been developed. Unfortunately, use of flatbed scanners is intrinsically associated with a possibility of damaging the art when removing the art from its frame, handling the art, placing the art on the flatbed, and so on. Furthermore, flatbed scanners are limited to art of a maximum size. Not infrequently, flatbed scanned images suffer from spurious reflections of light causing white spots on the images. The spots need to be manually removed using specialized software.
To increase the pixel count of an entire captured image, one can photograph the art in portions. The resulting image portions are then combined together, or “stitched”, using a variety of “stitching algorithms” available. To photograph the art in portions, one or more high-definition digital cameras are mounted on a fixed assembly. The art needs to be placed in front of the camera and somehow moved across the field of view of the camera(s) to obtain the matrix of images of portions of the art.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,961,983, Uyttendaele et al. disclose a photography apparatus including a gimbal-mounted digital camera. Referring to FIG. 1, a prior-art mounted camera apparatus 10 of Uyttendaele et al. includes a digital camera 11 mounted on a gimbal mount 12 including X- and Y-tilt gimbal structures 13 and 14, respectively, supported by a tripod 15. In operation, the camera 11 is tilted within the gimbal mount 12 in a raster fashion to capture different portions of an art being photographed. The resulting images are then “stitched” into a single gigapixel image.
The above described known art imaging techniques share some common drawbacks. The art 20 needs to be moved to the dedicated photography room 21, or an area of the art gallery where the art 20 is displayed needs to be closed to general public. The complete art 20 needs to be uniformly illuminated, which is difficult to do. Furthermore, constant bright light from the floodlights 22 can damage the art 20. To lessen geometrical distortions, the camera 10 needs to be placed far from the art 20, which, when the room is not big enough, can limit the maximum size of the art 20 that can be imaged. Focusing is difficult due to varying distance from the camera 10 to the surface of the art 20. The image stitching process is extremely difficult due to the geometrical distortions of images of the art 20, which are dependent on angles of tilt of the digital camera 11 in the gimbal mount 12.
Until now, the task of creating professional, high-quality digital images of art has required moving the art to a studio suited to photographing large images, or closing of the gallery where the art is installed. It has also required the use of highly-skilled photographers, and/or state-of-the-art flatbed scanning systems. As a consequence, art digitization required a great deal of time and resources, and in many instances there was a considerable risk of damaging the art in the process.
In accordance with the invention there is provided an imaging robot for use with a imaging device for imaging a surface, comprising:
a positioning system including a support for supporting the imaging device; and mutually orthogonal first, second, and third linear translators coupled to the support, for positioning the imaging device in front of the surface at a plurality of shooting positions forming a two-dimensional grid of positions spaced from the surface at a substantially same shooting distance; and
a controller for providing control signals to the first, the second, and the third translators for positioning the imaging device and for causing the imaging device to capture a component image of a portion of the surface at each of the shooting positions.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is further provided an image processing server for combining the component images captured by the imaging device of the imaging robot into a single composite image of the surface. The imaging processing server includes an input port for connecting the memory unit storing the component images, and a processor coupled to the input port, programmed to obtain the component images from the memory unit and to combine the component images into the composite image of the surface.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention there is further provided a method for automated imaging of a surface, comprising:
(a) operating mutually orthogonal first, second, and third linear translators to automatically position an imaging device in front of the surface at a plurality of shooting positions forming a two-dimensional grid of positions spaced from the surface at a substantially same shooting distance;
(c) upon completion of steps (a) and (b), combining the component images of step (b) into a composite image of the surface.
FIG. 1 is a frontal view of a prior-art mounted camera apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a view of a prior-art photography room;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a succession of portions of the painting sequentially imaged by the imaging robot of FIG. 3;
FIGS. 5A to 5F are views of the imaging robot of FIG. 3 in front of the painting, capturing a succession of images of the painting portions;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the imaging robot of FIGS. 3A to 3C at two positions of the digital camera for determining of an angle at which the painting is hung on the wall;
FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method of determining the hanging angle of the painting shown in FIG. 9;
FIG. 14 is a three-dimensional frontal rendering of an imaging robot prototype of the invention;
FIGS. 15 and 16 are plan and three dimensional renderings, respectively, of a base of the robot prototype of FIG. 14;
FIG. 18 is a view of the robot prototype of FIG. 14 in operation.
Referring to FIGS. 3A to 3C, an imaging robot 30 includes a positioning system 31 for supporting and positioning a digital camera 32 in front of a painting 33, and a controller 34 for controlling the positioning system 31 and the camera 32. The positioning system 31 includes sequentially coupled and mutually orthogonal first, second, and third linear translators 31-1, 31-2, and 31-3, for translating the camera 32 across the painting 33, and a tilt stage 31-4 coupled to a support 35 for supporting the camera 32, for adjusting a tilt angle α of the camera 32 to match a hanging angle β of the painting 33, thus orienting an optical axis 41 of the camera 32 perpendicular to the surface of the painting 33. The directions of translation and tilt are shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C with double-headed solid arrows.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the first translator 31-1 includes a base 36, a driven wheel 37 mounted to the base 36, for rolling on a substantially horizontal floor 38, and a pair of guiding rollers 39 mounted to the base 36, guided by an optional track 40 on a floor 38, for moving the base 36 together with the rest of the positioning system 31 and the camera 32 horizontally with respect to gravity, thus shifting the camera 32 horizontally, along (or parallel to) the surface of the painting 33. In one embodiment, the optional track 40 is not used, and two driven wheels 37 disposed symmetrically with respect to the rollers 39, are used instead of one driven wheel 37. The second linear translator 31-2 is a linear translation stage extending vertically from the base 36, having a first portion 31-2A fixed to the base, and a second portion 31-2B movable in vertical direction, thus shifting the camera 32 vertically, nearly parallel to the surface of the painting 33. The vertical translation is not exactly but “nearly” parallel because, while the camera 32 is translated by the second translator 31-2 almost exactly vertically, a painting is usually hanged at the angle β slightly (for example, within 15 degrees) away from vertical. The third linear translator 31-3 is also a linear translation stage having a first portion 31-3A mounted to the second portion 31-2B of the second linear translator 31-2, and a second portion 31-3B movable relative to the first portion 31-3A towards and away from the surface of the painting 33. The third linear translator 31-3 shifts the camera 32 horizontally, towards and away from the surface of the painting 33, to keep the camera 32 at substantially the same distance, herein called a “shooting distance”, from the surface of the painting 33 upon vertical translation by the second linear translator 31-2, thus compensating for the hanging angle β of the painting 33. The tilt stage 31-4 includes a first portion 31-4A fixed to the movable portion 31-3B of the third translator 31-3, and a second portion 31-4B tiltable, or movable angularly, with respect to the first portion 31-4A. The camera support 35 is mounted to the movable portion 31-4B of the tilt stage 31-4, or it may be an integral part of the movable portion 31-4B. As noted above, the function of the tilt stage 31-4 to adjust the tilt angle α of the camera 32 to match the hanging angle β of the painting 33. The tilt stage 31-4 is optional, however its use allows to shoot image frames 43 at straight angle to the surface of the painting 33, thus capturing virtually undistorted images, which simplifies subsequent image processing.
In operation, the controller 34 provides control signals to the translators 31-1 to 31-3 to position the camera 32 at a plurality of shooting positions forming a two-dimensional grid of positions spaced from the surface of the painting 33 at a substantially same shooting distance. At each of these shooting positions, the controller 34 provides a signal to the camera 32 to capture an image, herein called a “component image”, of a portion of the surface of the painting 33. An illuminator such as a pair of flash lamps, not shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, can be used to selectively illuminate the portion of the surface of the painting 33 being imaged. The captured component images are packed into a single encrypted file, which is transferred to a memory unit, such as an external flash memory card or a hard drive, operationally coupled to the controller 34, for subsequent transfer to a powerful computer station for combining, or stitching the component images into a single full image, herein called a “composite image”, of the painting 33. The controller 34 may include a laptop computer mounted to the imaging robot 30 at a height convenient for operation by a person standing next to the imaging robot 30. The controller 34 and its operation will be considered in more detail further below.
Referring now to FIG. 4, a succession of portions of the painting 33 to be sequentially photographed by the imaging robot 30 is illustrated by numerals 1 to 12 indicating the order of taking the component images of the painting portions 1-12. Initially, the imaging robot 30 positions the camera 32 against the lower-leftmost portion 1, captures a first component image 44 of the portion 1, then shifts to the portion 2 directly above the lower-leftmost portion 1, captures a second component image 45 of the portion 2, and so on.
Turning to FIGS. 5A to 5F, the imaging robot 30 moves the camera 32 to the left bottom corner of the painting 33 as shown in FIG. 5A, captures the first component image 44 of a leftmost vertical column 51 of portions of the painting 33. Then, the imaging robot 30 actuates the second linear translator 31-2 to raise the camera 32 to a position of FIG. 5B. The distance from the camera 32 to the painting 33 may be adjusted by actuating the third linear translator 31-3 (not shown in FIGS. 5A to 5F). The camera 32 is actuated to capture the second component image 45. The robot then proceeds to take the remaining component images, as shown in FIGS. 5C to 5F. In particular, in a step illustrated in FIG. 5D, the driven wheel 37 of the first linear translator 31-1 is actuated to shift the imaging robot 30 to a capture component images in a second vertical column of image portions 52. Images of painting portions can of course be captured in another order, although a zigzag pattern of FIGS. 4 and 5A to 5F is preferable, because it minimizes the number of horizontal movements of the entire imaging robot 30. Images of painting portions are captured with an overlap of 10-50% or more, to even out minor brightness variations during image stitching.
Referring to FIG. 6, a method of automated imaging of a surface of the painting 33 is presented. In a step 61, the imaging robot 30 is initialized. The initialization may include calibration of the robot 30, inputting painting dimensions and required resolution in dots per inch (dpi), determination of the hanging angle β, opening/creating a session file, etc. In a step 62, the imaging robot 30 moves the digital camera 32 to the first grid position corresponding to the lower-leftmost portion 1 of the painting 33 in FIG. 4. In a step 63, the first component image 44 of the lower-leftmost portion 1 of the painting 33 is captured and transferred to a memory unit of the controller 34. This step can include automatic adjustments of focus, preferably by moving the digital camera 32 towards or away from the painting 33 instead of adjusting the camera lens. In steps 64 to 66, the imaging robot 30 moves the camera 32 at a grid of positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A to 5F and captures component images, which are then transferred to the memory unit of the controller 34. Focus can be adjusted if required, preferably by moving the digital camera 32 towards or away from the painting 33. When the end position is reached and a component image at that position (portion 12) is taken, the component images are stored in a single encrypted file in step 67, for subsequent processing. Finally, in a step 68, the component images are combined, or stitched, forming a single composite image.
For ease of stitching of the component images, the images are taken with an overlap of at least 10%, or even as much as 50% of each neighboring image area. A variety of image stitching algorithms are known in the art. Generally, to provide image stitching, neighboring areas of each image are analyzed for similarities in the captured image features, and then each image is adjusted in x-y position, brightness, color, etc., to combine the common image features on neighboring component images. Since positioning of the camera 32 is controlled automatically and is known with a reasonably high precision, the stitching process is significantly simplified as compared, for example, to imaging using a gimbal-based prior-art mounted camera apparatus 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. In the prior-art mounted camera apparatus 10, the images are distorted due to changing camera aiming and distance to the art 20. Taking each component image at nearly identical orientation and shooting distance facilitates subsequent stitching.
Preferably, the camera 32 does not move when capturing an image of a portion of the painting 33, even when a flash light is used to illuminate the portion being photographed. However, it is possible to photograph the painting 33 while moving the camera 32 along the path shown in FIG. 4, if the flash of light is of a short enough duration not to blur the resulting images in the direction of motion. For example, for the camera moving at speed of 5 cm/sec and for a flash duration of 10 microseconds, the camera moves only by 0.5 micrometers per flash, which is acceptable.
The marker light source 75 is disposed in a fixed relationship to the camera support 35, emitting a marker beam 76. In operation, the marker beam 76 is directed towards the surface of the painting 33 to form the at least one reference spot 77 on the surface of the painting 33.
From a position of the at least tone reference spot 77 on an image captured by the camera 32, a distance between the camera 32 and the painting 33 can be determined, as explained below.
Referring to FIGS. 8A to 8C, the marker 75 emits the marker beam 76 forming the reference spot 77 on the surface of the painting 33. The position of the reference spot 77 within a field of view 80 of the camera 32 will depend on a distance d between the camera 32 and the painting 33. For example, in FIG. 8A, at a distance d1 between the camera 32 and the painting 33, the spot 77 is located in the upper half of the field of view 80; in FIG. 8B, at a distance d2, the spot 77 is located close to the middle of the field of view 80; and in FIG. 8C, at a distance d3, the spot 77 is located in the lower half of the field of view 80. Accordingly, the distance d between the camera 32 and the surface of the painting 33 can be determined form the position of the spot 77 in the field of view 80 of the camera 32 by using simple trigonometry and/or an empirical calibration.
Turning now to FIGS. 9 and 10, the hanging angle β of the painting 33 can be determined by positioning the camera 32 at two reference positions, 91 and 92, at the bottom and at the top of the painting 33, respectively, separated by a vertical distance l, and measuring the distance d between the camera 32 and the painting 33 at each of these positions using the previously described method. In a step 101, the camera 32 is moved to the first reference position 91 shown with dotted lines. In a step 102, the marker beam 76 is launched by the marker beam source 75. In a step 103, a first “reference image” is captured. In a step 104, the camera 32 is moved to the second reference position 92 shown with solid lines. In a step 105, a second reference image is captured. In a step 106, the first and the second reference distances are determined as explained above, and a differential distance Δd is calculated. Once the differential distance Δd is known, an angle between the surface of the painting 33 and the direction of the lateral shift form the position 91 to the position 92 can be calculated. Assuming that the directional of the lateral shift is exactly vertical, the hanging angle β is determined at a step 107 using the following formula:
β = tan - 1 ⁡ ( Δ ⁢ ⁢ d l ) ( 1 )
The determined hanging angle β can be taken into account by the imaging robot 30 in two ways. First, the distance between the camera 32 and the surface of the painting 33 can be kept constant upon vertical displacement of the camera 32, by actuating the third linear translator 32-1 upon, or simultaneously with, a vertical translation of the camera 32 by the second linear translator 31-2. Second, the camera 32 can be pre-tilted by the tilt stage 31-4 to make the optical axis 41 of the camera 32 perpendicular to the surface of the painting 33. As a result, the component images are taken by the imaging robot 30 from substantially a same shooting distance, and at a same (90 degrees) shooting angle.
By using at least three, and preferably four reference beams 76, not only the shooting distance but also shooting angle (an angle between the optical axis 41 of the camera 32 and the surface of the painting 33) can be determined. Referring now to FIGS. 11A and 11B, four reference beams 76 are directed to the painting 33 by four sources 75 or a single source 75 equipped with beamsplitters, not shown. As a result, four reference spots, including two upper spots 77A and two lower spots 77B, are formed at four corners of the field of view 80 of the camera 32. In FIG. 11A, the shooting angle is 90 degrees, and the resulting pattern of the reference spots 77A, 77B is perfectly symmetrical. In FIG. 11B, the shooting angle is away from 90 degrees, and the resulting pattern of the reference spots 77A, 77B is asymmetrical. Therefore, the shooting angle can be determined from the relative positions of the four reference spots 77A, 77B within the field of view 80 of the camera 32. At least three non-collinear reference spots 77 should be used to determine the shooting angle, because three non-collinear points define a plane. In the embodiment shown, the reference beams 76 are parallel to the optical axis 41, although they do not have to be.
To determine the position of the four spots 77A, 77B in the field of view 80, an image is captured, and X- and Y-pixel numbers corresponding to the peaks of the spots 77A, 77B are determined. If the peaks are disposed symmetrically within the field of view, that is, if the X-distances between two upper spots 77A and between the two lower spots 77B are equal as shown in FIG. 11A, then the shooting angle is 90 degrees. If the X-distances are not equal as shown in FIG. 11B, then the shooting angle is away from 90 degrees.
The shooting angle measurement shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B can be used to adjust the camera angle by operating the tilt stage 31-4 to make the shooting angle straight, that is, normal to the surface of the painting 33, and which adjustment the component image is recaptured at the straight shooting angle; and/or to stretch the component images if the shooting angle was not perfectly straight, and no image was ever captured at the straight angle. It is preferable to correct the camera angle to make a perfectly straight shot. The stretching, if any, is preferably done at the image processing/stitching stage. To obtain information about the shooting angle used in the session, at least some of the component images can be taken twice: first time with the marker light source(s) turned off, and second time with the marker light source(s) turned on. For example, at least one image in a vertical column of images can be taken twice to obtain information about the local shooting angle in that column. The angular changes are gradual and need not be measured with a great frequency. Photos with the marker lights on are discarded in (or before) the stitching process, once the distance/angle data has been extracted as explained above.
The imaging robot 30, and the imaging/calibration techniques described above, can be used with a variety of imaging devices in place of, or in addition to, the digital camera 32. For example, an X-ray imager, a holographic imager, or an optical laser beam scanner can be used. Various illumination sources can be used in place of the flash lamps 74. Use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is particularly interesting. LEDs of various colors can be used to provide multi-color imaging using a monochromatic camera, which can have a higher resolution than a full-color camera. Furthermore, infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) LEDs can be used for multi-spectral imaging. In multi-color/multi-spectral imaging, a succession of images is taken at each illumination wavelength, or group of illumination wavelengths. The portion of the surface being imaged is repeatedly illuminated with light at different wavelengths, and a separate component image is taken by the imaging device at each wavelength of illumination. These “monochromatic” images can be combined into a single colored image. Herein, the term “light” includes not only visible light, but also UV and IR emissions.
Furthermore, the imaging robot 30 can include more than one imaging device, i.e. an array of imaging devices. An array of imaging devices (e.g. a plurality of digital cameras 32) aimed at the painting 33 can be mounted on the support 35 in a fixed apart relationship, to speed up capturing of component images. For example, component images in the two rows 51 and 52 in FIG. 5A to 5F can be captured at the same time with two digital cameras 32 spaced apart horizontally.
Referring now to FIG. 13, in a step 131, the imaging robot 30 is initialized. The initialization step 131 must be performed before imaging a new painting 33. In this step, a technician places the imaging robot 30 in front of the new painting 33. The imaging robot 30 finds/calculates painting edges, performs the hanging angle β calibration as described above with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, etc. In a step 132, the imaging robot 30 captures component images of the entire painting 33 as described above with reference to FIGS. 4, 5A to 5F, and 6. Then, the technician moves the imaging robot 30 to a next painting 33, and the process repeats as indicated at 130, 131, and 132.
Once all the paintings 33 are photographed, for example close to an end of a working day, the technician transfers the memory unit 73 to the image server 121. The memory unit 73 holds all component images pertaining to a particular painting 33, preferably in a single encrypted file (“Encrypted Packed Session” file). The image server 131 is instructed to import the Encrypted Packed Session files generated during the day, and to proceed with pre-processing the images at a step 133. The pre-processing includes stitching the component images to form composite digital images of the paintings 33 photographed during the working day at steps 131, 132. Depending on the number of square meters digitized, on the resolution selected, and on the computing power of the image server 121, the processing may take several hours. It may be conveniently done overnight.
In a step 134, the image server 121 transmits, via an Internet connection, certain data about the results of the pre-processing to a central server 122. The full color image itself is not transmitted, just a minimal representation data. In a step 135, the central server 122 evaluates the overall success the digitization and the image processing and recommends one of the following:
i. Re-digitizing the entire art or just a part of the art (125). This is rarely required.
ii. Re-processing with modified parameters (126).
iii. Proceeding to a next step (127).
The camera carriage 143 serves as a support platform for the high definition camera 32, the reference light source 75, and a photography flash units bar 149 including two flash units (flash lamps) 74. The camera 32, the reference light source 75, and the flash units 74 are detachable; they are mounted to the bar 149 using a simple mounting mechanism. The camera carriage 143 includes the third linear translator 31-3 and the tilt stage 31-4 mounted to a support, which runs vertically along the second post 146. The camera carriage 143 performs two different movements, a forward-backward horizontal movement by the third linear translator 31-3, and a tilt up-down angle movement by the tilt stage 31-4. These movements are driven using DC stepping motors 177 and 178, respectively. The camera carriage 143 can move relative to the base assembly 141 as follows: vertically by sliding up and down the second post 146, horizontally towards and away from the painting 33, and angularly up-down. Of course, the entire imaging robot prototype 140 can move horizontally along the painting 33. The horizontal movement of the prototype 140 is guided by the guiding rail 40. Thus, the prototype 140 provides four degrees of freedom of controllable movement of the camera 32: three mutually orthogonal linear degrees of freedom, plus one angular degree of freedom. Back and forth deviations caused by dips and bumps on the floor can be eliminated by adjusting the angle and the position of the camera 32.
The prototype 140 uses a dedicated digital camera 32, since dimensions of the camera 32, its line-up, lens, filters and flash sync influence the calculations and the process in general. In the embodiment of FIGS. 14 to 17, the reference light source 75 is a battery powered laser. Two independent photography flash units 74 are mounted at each side of the camera 32 in a symmetrical fashion. The flash units 74 are synchronized with the camera 32, or by the camera 32, which is triggered by the controller 34. Light provided by the flash units 74 makes the imaging robot prototype 140 virtually immune to ambient lighting.
The controller 34 includes electronics components and interface cards that control and command the system. Sensors are provided for calibration and security of the robot movements. The controller 34 includes the motor controller cards 72 that power the DC stepping motors 152, 171, 174, 177, and 178, the flash units electronic controls, as well as the control circuitry of the reference light source 75. A main power on-off switch turns the system on or off. Other electronic circuits are used to provide required power supply voltages.
The electrical power unit is located on the base assembly 141 to lower the center of gravity. It provides the power to run the controller 34, DC stepping motors 152, 171, 174, 177, and 178, the camera 32, the flash units 74, and the laptop PC 71. The primary power source is a battery bank which is intended to last a whole day working session. The battery bank serves is placed at the base assembly 141 to improve stability and prevent the vertical support guides assembly 142 from falling onto the art 33. The batteries are charged by built-in chargers connected to the AC mains when the imaging robot prototype 140 is not in use. The robot electrical system can also be feed by the AC mains.
On average, the imaging robot prototype 140 takes one photo per two seconds. Although the imaging robot prototype 140 is very stable, the software introduces a delay after every horizontal movement to allow the vertical support guides assembly 142 to stabilize before re-initiating a new column.
1. An imaging robot for imaging a surface, comprising:
a positioning system including a support and a digital camera mounted on the support for imaging the surface;
wherein the positioning system comprises mutually orthogonal first, second, and third linear translators coupled to the support, for positioning the digital camera in front of the surface at a plurality of shooting positions forming a two-dimensional grid of positions spaced from the surface at a substantially same shooting distance;
a tilt stage coupled to the support, for orienting an optical axis of the digital camera perpendicular to the surface being imaged, wherein the tilt stage comprises first and second portions movable angularly with respect to each other, the first portion of the tilt stage being mounted to the second portion of the third translator, wherein the second portion of the tilt stage is mounted to the support;
an illuminator for selective illumination of a portion of the surface being imaged by the digital camera; and
a controller for providing control signals to the first, the second, and the third translators for positioning the digital camera, wherein the controller is operationally coupled to the digital camera for causing the digital camera to capture a component image of a portion of the surface at each of the shooting positions.
2. The imaging robot of claim 1, further comprising a first imaging device mounted on the support, wherein the first imaging device is selected from the group consisting of an X-ray imager, a holographic imager, and an optical scanner.
3. The imaging robot of claim 1, wherein the illuminator comprises a flash light source.
4. The imaging robot of claim 1, wherein the illuminator comprises a light emitting diode for emitting light in the visible, ultraviolet, and/or infrared wavelength range.
5. The photography robot of claim 1, further comprising a marker light source disposed in a fixed relationship to the support, to provide at least one marker beam of light directed towards the surface being imaged, to form at least one reference spot on the surface, for determination of a distance between the digital camera and the surface from a position of the at least one reference spot within a field of view of the digital camera.
6. The photography robot of claim 5, wherein the at least one marker beam includes three marker beams directed towards the surface being imaged, to form three non-collinear reference spots on the surface, for determination of a shooting angle of the digital camera from a relative position of the three reference spots within the field of view of the digital camera.
7. The imaging robot of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, the second, and the third translators comprises a robotic arm or a scissor lift.
8. The imaging robot of claim 1, comprising a second imaging device mounted on the support in a fixed apart relationship with the digital camera.
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Owner name: RESOLUTION ART INC., CANADA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:KIRKLAND, LESTER;REEL/FRAME:030480/0442