Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

What Are Robotic Vision Sensors?

1. A robotic vision sensor is a self-contained unit that can feature a combination of an integrated camera, lights and
a controller (and sometimes a laser).
2. Robotic vision sensors are designed for simple installation and operation.
3. They are especially suited for straightforward operations, such as inspections on an assembly, that involve a yes-
or-no, pass-or-fail answer.
4. Robotic vision sensors capture an image of an object with a camera and then calculate the characteristics of that
object, such as its length, width, height, position and area.
5. They perform tasks such as:
• Detect the presence or absence of parts
• Determine the orientation of parts
• Calculate the accuracy of parts
• Verify shapes
• Verify colors
• Recognize characters (words on a label, for example)
 Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

What are the Advantages of Robotic Vision Sensors in the

Manufacturing Process?
Robotic vision sensors have many advantages depending on the specific usage:
• Easy to install
• Easy to configure
• Lower cost than robotic vision systems
• Ideal for simple, repetitive tasks
 Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

What Is a Robotic Vision System?

• Robotic vision is similar to human vision – it provides valuable information that the robot can use to
interact with the world around it.
• Robots equipped with vision can identify colors, find parts, detect people, check quality, process
information about its surroundings, read text, or carry out just about any other function we might desire.
• Even though we refer to this as robotic vision, the systems often differ greatly from the way our eyes work.
Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

What are the Advantages of Robotic Vision Systems in the

Manufacturing Process?
Like their counterparts, vision-guided robotic systems have specific advantages based upon their intended
usage. They:
• Enable robots to perform complex tasks
• Recognize parts (not just detect if they are present)
• Guide robots to operate in multiple dimensions
• Guide material handling equipment
• Position products, parts and materials
• Are ideal for complex tasks
 Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

Components of a Robotic Vision System:

1. Camera
• This is the part of the system that will take in light from the outside world and convert it into digital data
that can be processed and analyzed by the system.
• Originally, the cameras consisted of a small number of photocells (around 2000 pixels) arranged behind a
lens and worked off a greyscale of 256 different shades to determine the shape of images.
• Today, the cameras used in robotic vision range from 2 megapixels on up with full color and 4,095
different shades to work with.
• This large amount of data has made image processing easier, as it provides a wealth of information, but
not necessarily faster.
Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

Components of a Robotic Vision System:

2. Processor
• The processor converts all the raw data from the camera into something useful to the robot.
• There are two main methods of processing the information from the camera – edge detection and
clustering.
• With edge detection, the processor looks for sharp differences in the light data from the camera, which it
then considers an edge. Once it finds an edge, the processor looks at the data from pixels nearby to see
where else it can find a similar difference.
• This process continues until it has found the outline information for the image.
• With clustering, the processor finds pixels that have identical data and then looks for other pixels nearby
with the same or near same data. This process develops an image using the data captured by the camera.
• Once the processor has decided what the image is, it formats the information into something the robot can
use and sends it to the robot’s system.

3. Cabling
• Coaxial cables are used sending data or transmitting data.
Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

Robotic Vision System Applications:

1. When it comes to vision system applications, some of the exciting and popular options right now include
facial recognition, safety systems, part finding, and quality control.
Facial Recognition
• Facial recognition is the ability of robotic systems to match an image of a person to data stored in its
memory.
• In many ways, this is just an adaptation of part recognition, but the result is a much more personal
experience with the robot.
• For example, you can program robot to recognize your face and then respond with a message.
• Anytime robot senses a person, the robot slows down to a safe speed and closely monitors system
feedback for any indication of a collision, stopping all movement before anyone can get hurt.
Safety Systems
• Beyond the social uses, this technology also has great security applications.
• Instead of risking the lives of people, we can use a robot to deny entry or search for unauthorized persons
based on a database of approved facial scans.
Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

Robotic Vision System Applications:

Part Finding
• Vision systems use clustering or edge detection to pick out specific parts from a complex image.
• Once the system finds a part, it uses the data gathered from the visual information to modify its program and
complete tasks as directed.
• This allows the robot to work with parts that are offset, tilted, jumbled in a bin, or otherwise out of the optimal
position.
• To use a vision system this way, there must be some form of calibration where the robot can relate the visual data
to distance.
Quality Control
• With 2D vision, or a single camera, the camera needs to be in the same position each time it takes a picture, and
there must be some form of calibration to find distance from this point.
• With 3D vision, two cameras, or images from two locations, determine the distance.
• The 3D system will require calibration as well, and in the instance of two cameras, the location of the cameras in
respect to one other is part of the calibration.
• This same type of system can measure part features to the micron level, insuring the quality of each part during
operation.
Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

Important:
1. All-in-one vision systems that plug directly into the robot and handle all of the
data processing are nothing new, whether the robot manufacturer or some
third party provides them.
2. CMUcam5 Pixy is an all in one vision system that works with Arduino,
Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone for color and object recognition, with facial
recognition on the way.
Robotic Vision Sensors and Vision System

Important:
1. The greatest advantage of robotic vision systems when it comes to industrial robotics is flexibility.
2. One robot equipped with a robotic vision system can do the tasks of multiple robots fitted with simple
sensors.
3. Robotic vision systems give your robots human-like sight and hand-eye coordination and make them
smarter.
4. That increased flexibility soon translates into greater productivity and profitability, as well as decreases
unplanned downtime.
 Robot Vision

YouTube Video Links:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcCbEWiyiQY
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ken1zjEb3OM&t=67s