What Are the Benefits of a Vision System for Robots?

Lens resolution, sensor size, and pixel size must all be considered to make sure that the lens does its job of properly illuminating the sensor area and creating sharp, high-fidelity images that allow the robot to do its job quickly, safely, and efficiently.

Fremont, CA: Robot vision systems can significantly improve a robot's performance and efficiency in a variety of settings. Without vision, robots are restricted to simple, repetitive tasks that cannot be easily changed without reprogramming. Robots with vision are much more adaptable, able to respond to the added visual context.

Choosing the right robot vision system for the right industry application, on the other hand, can be a difficult task. These criteria should be used by industry manufacturers to help them decide.The imaging requirements are determined by the task's complexity. The vision of a 2D robot is flat, measuring length and width but not height. All three are measured in 3D, as well as rotational information around all three axes.

Nevertheless, not all industrial applications may necessitate the use of 3D. A 2.5D robot vision system, for example, maybe sufficient for flat operational surfaces, as long as the robot can calculate distances between objects with the required precision.

It has taken years of research to achieve one of 3D's major benefits, such as bin picking. Robotic grip development and anti-collision programming have greatly improved the precision of this task. Today's software systems, when used in conjunction with true 3D vision systems, can measure and calculate with pixel point precision at a much greater speed than 2D systems.

Visual Performance Criteria

Manufacturers should consider what type of visual process will be handled when determining the system required for vision tasks. Is it necessary for the robot to detect color differences? Is the job focusing on quality control and spotting flaws? The level of precision of the vision system is determined by questions like these and others.

Lens Selection

In order to make the critical visual measurements that guide robot or collaborative robot movement, a robot vision system requires high-quality imaging. The optical quality of the lens, as well as the accompanying camera sensor, are critical in determining the type of image that is produced.

Lens resolution, sensor size, and pixel size must all be considered to make sure that the lens does its job of properly illuminating the sensor area and creating sharp, high-fidelity images that allow the robot to do its job quickly, safely, and efficiently.

Integration of Software and Hardware 

Integration of machine vision into a company's current production facilities is a serious consideration, not just from the standpoint of hardware design, specification, and integration with existing production systems. Integration of software systems is also a concern. Luckily, newer robot systems have simplified this process by requiring less programming and training skills for setup and operation.

Opting for the Right System

Robot and cobot vision systems have proven invaluable in a wide range of industries, including food, agriculture, and automotive, as well as electronics, aerospace engineering, and surveillance, as well as wide-spectrum packaging, inspection, and measurement tasks that are required in a variety of industries.