Human-robot interface by pointing with uncalibrated stereo vision

Here we present the results of an investigation into the use of a pointing-based interface for robot guidance. The system requires no physical contact with the operator, but uses uncalibrated stereo vision with active contours to track the position and pointing direction of a hand in real time. With a ground plane constraint, it is possible to find the indicated position in the robot's workspace, by considering only two-dimensional collineations. Experimental and simulation data show that a resolution of within 1 cm can be achieved in a 40 cm workspace, allowing simple pick-and-place operations to be specified by finger pointing.