‘Out of the box’ vision solutions
Machine vision is well-established and versatile, with a multitude of building blocks and a continuous stream of new developments and new technologies, making it a truly enabling technology for a myriad of applications across many industries. However it is this very versatility that has fuelled the view that creating a vision solution is some sort of ‘black art’ that can only be handled by vision specialists. ‘Out of the box’ vision solutions, designed to meet specific application requirements in various industries have been introduced to help address these issues. More users can now benefit from greater accessibility to ready-made, all-in-one solutions. 2D, 3D and AI solutions are available for applications including label and packaging inspection; colour inspection and sorting; robot guidance including pick and place and bin picking of random parts; systems for mobile vehicles and many more. Out of the box solutions take a major step towards demystifying vision technology across a multitude of market sectors.
From apps to complete systems
The evolution of both traditional and AI based machine vision apps for use with specific smart cameras or AI inference cameras has brought a new meaning to ‘out of the box’ solutions. A number of application-specific ‘apps’ are available for use by multiple customers. Guided through set-up with an intuitive graphic interface, users can set the parameters specific to that application with minimal effort and no specialist skills. Both 2D and 3D apps are available, offering capabilities for label and general inspection and counting applications as well as for robot guidance. The use of self-learning “Classifier” and “Object Detector” apps on AI-based cameras potentially opens up universal application possibilities since they automatically develop solutions based on the set of training images used. However the creation and labeling of the most relevant training images still requires a degree of expertise. App based systems can be used as stand-alone solutions or integrated into the production line environment, but sometimes a different approach involving imaging with additional hardware is required, in particular to facilitate handling of the product to be inspected. This could include a conveyor, reject mechanisms to allow separation of failed and good product, bins to collect good and failed product, or interfaces to the existing in-line reject mechanisms. Despite having a more complex construction, there are many such ready-made systems available, including in-line or stand-alone versions, to meet a huge range of application needs. Even for very specialist applications that require more complex vision installations ‘out of the box’ solutions are frequently available where there is a significant market demand. By searching out these solutions, end users can save time and money compared to having a bespoke system designed and built.
Robot guidance
The application of robots to automate factory processes can be greatly enhanced through the addition of machine vision to provide guidance for the robot. Historically though, vision-robot interfaces have been complicated to set up, but out of the box plug and play solutions for 2D and 3D vision systems greatly simplify this process through direct connection of the camera to the robot controller or PLC with no control system in between. 2D systems are best suited for simpler applications involving pre-determined, highly repeatable parts and locations. They can be used to locate parts reliably and quickly, tell the robot how to pick them up and where to place them very accurately. Robot systems equipped with 3D vision, however, can identify parts randomly posed in three dimensions to ensure even products with complex profiles can be picked from variable heights and moved to a target destination without risk of damage.
Plugins are available for a variety of applications, including pick-and-place, bin picking and palletising and depalletising. Plug and play solutions are also available for use on automated or semi-automated vehicles used in warehousing and logistics applications. These are essentially Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs) and the same integration principles apply to mobile as static machines. Plugins are available to adapt existing vehicles, or to make the design and configuration of new designs much quicker, simpler and more cost-effective.
