As the demand for vision-guided robots increases, so does the need for vision systems that are smaller, smarter, and easier to use. The InSight Micro vision system from Cognex does just that: it takes the intelligence away from the remote control box and places it inside the remote head camera; and its lightweight, miniature case design, at 30 x 30 mm cross-section, lets it fit easily into the palm or the end of the arm of the robot.
The system uses a non-linear calibration algorithm typically found in PC-based vision systems, which makes it possible to map the pixels in the camera to the robot coordinate system. At the same time, it eliminates distortion of the image, such as fisheye or trapezoidal views. ‚“With the software, we are able to accurately place the part and then tell the robot, in its coordinate system, the exact location of the part so that it can pick it up,‚†said Lisa Eichler, Director of Marketing, Vision Systems Business Unit, Cognex Corp. This adds more flexibility to the manufacturing line and saves on large capital equipment costs by eliminating the need for fixturing.
Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) provides power to the camera. ‚“It is a less complex and more convenient cabling solution, particularly well-suited for end-of-arm robot applications. It supplies both the power, as well as full Ethernet data communications in one cable,‚†said Eichler.
Easybuilder point and click image-centric software communicates back to the robot. For ease-of-use, it comes preconfigured with many of the standard robot manufacturers‚’ protocols.
Cognex Corp.
www.cognex.com
::Design World::
Filed Under: ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL, Vision • machine vision • cameras + lenses • frame grabbers • optical filters • scanners
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