SUMMARY
This paper investigates stabilizing receding horizon control via an image space navigation function for three‐dimensional (3D) visual feedback systems. First, we describe the representation of a relative pose and a camera model. Next, a visual motion error system which can handle time‐varying desired motion is constructed. Then, visual motion observer‐based stabilizing receding horizon control for 3D visual feedback systems is proposed. Moreover, a path planner appropriate for the visual motion error system is designed through an image space navigation function to keep all features in the camera field of view. The main contribution of this paper is to show that the path planner which always remains in the camera field of view during servoing is designed for position‐based visual feedback receding horizon control based on optimal control theory. Finally, we present simulation and nonlinear experimental results in order to verify control performance with visibility maintenance of the proposed control scheme. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 96(10): 12–21, 2013; Published online in Wiley Online Library (http://wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.11493