In this paper, an adaptive nonlinear estimator is developed to identify the range and the 3D Euclidean coordinates of feature points on a moving object using a single fixed camera. No explicit model is used to describe the movement of the object. Homography-based techniques are used in the development of the object kinematics, while an adaptive nonlinear estimator is designed by employing signal filters. Lyapunov design methods are utilized to facilitate the design of the estimator and filters as well as the convergence and stability analysis. The performance of the estimator is demonstrated by simulation results. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.