Fuzzy Logic-Controlled 6-DOF Robotic Arm Color-based Sorter with Machine Vision Feedback

A demonstration of the application of fuzzy logic-based joint controller (FLJC) to a 6-DOF robotic arm as a color-based sorter system is presented in this study. The robotic arm with FLJC is integrated with a machine vision system that can discriminate different colors. Additionally, the machine vision system composed of Kinect camera and computer were used to extract the coordinates of the gripper and the objects within the image of the workspace. A graphical user interface with an underlying sorting algorithm allows the user to control the sorting process. Once the system is configured, the computed joint angles by FLJC are transmitted serially to the microcontroller. The results show that the absolute error of the gripper coordinates is less than 2 cm and that the machine vision is capable of achieving at least 95% accuracy in proper color discrimination both for first and second level stacked color objects.