Intuitive robot programming through use of tracked smart input devices relies on fixed, external tracking systems, most often employing infra-red markers. Such an approach is frequently combined with projector-based augmented reality for better visualisation and interface. The combined system, although providing an intuitive programming platform with short cycle times even for inexperienced users, is immobile, expensive and requires extensive calibration. When faced with a changing environment and large number of robots it becomes sorely impractical. Here we present our work on infra-red marker tracking using the Microsoft HoloLens head-mounted display. The HoloLens can map the environment, register the robot on-line, and track smart devices equipped with infra-red markers in the robot coordinate system. We envision our work to provide the basis to transfer many of the paradigms developed over the years for systems requiring a projector and a tracked input device into a highly-portable system that does not require any calibration or special set-up. We test the quality of the marker-tracking in an industrial robot cell and compare our tracking with a ground truth obtained via an ART-3 tracking system.

翻译：通过使用可追踪的智能输入设备实现直观的机器人编程，通常依赖于固定的外部追踪系统，其中多数采用红外标记。此类方法常与基于投影仪的增强现实技术相结合，以优化可视化效果与人机界面。尽管该系统能为初学者提供直观的编程平台并实现短周期操作，但其存在不可移动、成本高昂且需大量校准等缺陷。当面对动态环境及大规模机器人集群时，此类方案便显得极为不切实际。本文提出基于Microsoft HoloLens头戴式显示设备的红外标记追踪方案。HoloLens能够实现环境三维重构、机器人在线注册，并追踪配备红外标记的智能设备在机器人坐标系中的位置。我们期望这项研究能为将多年来依赖投影仪与追踪输入设备的系统范式，迁移至无需任何校准或特殊部署的高度便携系统奠定基础。我们在工业机器人单元中测试了标记追踪质量，并与ART-3追踪系统获取的真实值进行对比验证。