NASA needs some help improving Robonaut 2’s vision

It’s not like NASA will be taking Robonaut 2, its first humanoid robot in space, to the ophthalmologist for an eye exam, but the space agency does need some help improving its eyesight — its 3D eyesight, that is.

NASA is currently asking coders to create algorithms for Robonaut 2 in The Robonaut Vision Tool Manipulation contest and is even offering a total of $10,000 in prizes for the best algorithms.

The need for better 3D vision comes from the further development of Robonaut 2, making it more autonomous aboard the ISS, and eventually future deep-space missions. In order to use a tool, Robonaut 2 relies on an algorithm to determine a 3D representation of the tool. The algorithm works with the robot’s control system and allows the robot to create a plan for grasping objects and completing its tasks.

Unfortunately, high-resolution images are not always available, so new algorithms are needed that can determine differences in objects based on noisy, stereo vision data. The goal of the contest is for participants to create an algorithm that would be able to receive a pair of noisy stereo images of common space tools, like an RFID reader, an EVA handrail, or a soft-box, and then determine the correct 3D representation of the object in the image pair.

Story via NASA.