NONFEEDBACK-BASED MACHINE VISION METHODS FOR DETERMINING A CALIBRATION RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CAMERA AND A MOVEABLE OBJECT

A method is provided for determining a calibration relationship between a reference frame of motion of an object and a reference frame of a camera that generates images of the object. The method includes the steps of coupling a target to an object and placing the object at each of plural locations and orientations that are known with respect to the motion reference frame of the object. The location of the target(s) with respect to the object need not be known. An image of the object and target is generated while the object is at each of those locations/orientations. From each those images, the method determines the location/orientation of the target with respect to the reference frame of the camera. The method then calls for determining the calibration relationship between the reference frame of motion of the object and the camera reference frame as a function of the locations/orientations of the object with respect to the motion reference frame of the object and the locations/orientations of the target in the corresponding images with respect to the reference frame of the camera.