Abstract
M.Sc.
MANTIS, which is the acronym for "Motion Analysis and Tracking Integrated System", was originally conceived as part of the Interactive Visual-Event Scheduling tool (IVIS). MANTIS is used as an interpreter of and to interface between the vision system, which monitors the visual objects on the shop floor, and the physical-environment manager. MANTIS uses object behaviour models in order to validate the motion of each object and to identify exceptions in this regard. The physical-environment manager then further evaluates this information in relation to other data which it collects and passes on to the Dynamic Scheduling System. It also tracks the objects on the shop floor and uses this information to generate a kinematics model for each object which, in turn, is used to track the object, as well as to predict its position in the next frame. The main reasons for the predictions are to provide the vision system with pertinent information which it can use in order to improve its efficiency and accuracy by reducing its search space and providing additional information to be used in weighing close matches of objects up against each other. In order to accomplish all this, MANTIS needs to define the behavior model of an object and the valid margins for each model. These models are then used for the validation, tracking and prediction of each object's motion on the shop floor, thereby providing real-time feedback to the scheduling system, which then uses this data to maintain its Master Production Schedule.