vision guided robot

anyone had any dealings or experience with a Vision Guided type Robot motion control system or integrator.
Capable of taking a image file and Scan that image and then move a Robot head the same path as the image file.
Example, if wanted, Vision camera system scan a image and for example if you had some type of applicator dispensing material, the robot arm would move the dispensor to apply the material identical to the image file.
Vision Camera System and prefer Allen Bradley PLC componets.

Is the path basically the same as but may appear in different locations or orientation in the image, or totally random paths? I just helped out one my clients (a OEM machine builder) on something very similar (robot dispensing with vision).

What you're looking for is a vision system with contour, edge, feature or 'blob' detection. It will give you the co-ordinates of the detected feature, which you can send from your camera to your PLC, and then to your robot controller. The only challenge I see is resolution and accuracy depending on how complex the shapes are. Some suppliers are also doing 3D cameras, so if your features are raised or recessed, they may be easier to differentiate. Have you got an image as an example?


Start by having a look at the following offerings:

IFM
Cognex
Omron
Keyence

Keyence have cameras that can take as input robot coordinates, localize a part, and then send coordinate back to the robot. It's their picking tool, you use it on top of other vision tools. They can communicate directly with several brand of robots. It use a reference image to adjust their picking point. You can use it to do other things that picking, like your applicator for exemple.

FANUC (robot maker) has a built in vision + robot solution.


The PLC would then only communicate with the robot, not with the camera.


But be very careful with your application. Light (sun, neons and other spots) is the mortal ennemy of Vision. Make sure you have a good contrast and that it will always be the same.

call cognex and discuss the application with them. a co-worker did a project several years ago with a robot picking up a part.

james

Thanks
Will look into Keyence, have not had much luck with Cognex.
The PLC will basically not control the robots, it will basically only start and stop and then feed new product in and out. Actually have accomplished with a DXF file and converting to a Gcode file but a lot of manual editing has to be done to the Gcode after it is converted, that is why we starting thinking about being able to take a Vision Camera shoot a Snapshot of a print of a pattern and then be able to actually guide the robot. All of the Robot vendors etc. we have had in and looked at use a teach type function to define the path the robot follows and
have all commented that it would be a whole lot of teaching to accomplish what we are trying to do.
Very interesting project.

I think I saw a demo of something doing this or similar at Pack Expo a few years back - I want to say it was Yaskawa/Motoman + Cognex.

At my last job, we had two machines with vision guided robots. The first had an Epson SCARA robot with an Epson vision system doing pick-and-place. It worked well and had the advantage that everything was done through the Epson software. The second machine had a Fanuc six-axis with a Keyence vision system doing pick-and-place. On that particular machine, the PLC was reading the results from the vision system and sending the coordinates for the pick to the robot over Ethernet/IP. Also worked well, and the Keyence vision system had more options for image adjustment, edge locating, etc.

Here's a vision guided super glue dispenser I did:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9dY27br2nE&list=PLErklJw1EwjAWdinwXxkB2UiS7VtJsXKY&index=15


What type of material do you need to dispense?

Do you really need vision feedback of the pattern dispensed or can you just program the path and use a flow sensor to detect how much has came out?


Maybe you just need a camera to register where the product is and then send the robot on the path to dispense. This is the case for most applications.

I have some instructions on setting up Cognex comms to Fanuc on here:
https://bateautomation.com/2019/01/03/the-journey-begins/

Thanks will look this over.
Actually what we are doing at the moment is taking a image file we create and saving it as a DXF file and using 3d printer software to convert it to Gcode and controlling a x,y,z table just like you would a milling machine or 3d printer but instead of a cutting tool etc. we have a dispenser mounted on the end of the z axis and dispensing what i will refer to as similiar to gasket material. Due to nature of the project and patents can not really go into any detail about the actual material, hope you understand. It is a custom material.
Now we looking to see if a Vision type camera could take a snap shot of the imgae and then guide a robot in the exact path and shape of the image without having to go through the process of creating the Gcode etc... We proved the concept and looking at that direction to make a full blow production machine instead of a R and D testing unit. We using at the moment, Ethernet SmoothStepper and Mach3 control software and all of this is actually CNC type equipment controls.
Thanks

irondesk40 said:

Thanks will look this over.
Actually what we are doing at the moment is taking a image file we create and saving it as a DXF file and using 3d printer software to convert it to Gcode and controlling a x,y,z table just like you would a milling machine or 3d printer but instead of a cutting tool etc. we have a dispenser mounted on the end of the z axis and dispensing what i will refer to as similiar to gasket material. Due to nature of the project and patents can not really go into any detail about the actual material, hope you understand. It is a custom material.
Now we looking to see if a Vision type camera could take a snap shot of the imgae and then guide a robot in the exact path and shape of the image without having to go through the process of creating the Gcode etc... We proved the concept and looking at that direction to make a full blow production machine instead of a R and D testing unit. We using at the moment, Ethernet SmoothStepper and Mach3 control software and all of this is actually CNC type equipment controls.
Thanks

Click to expand...

Well this is definitely way off from what I was thinking.

As far as this goes, you would need to pull out each corner, radius, and point the robot needs to move to, so it could end up being over a thousand positions that the camera would need to find and feedback to the robot. This is where translating to G code helps.

I would look into Robotmaster out of Canada. They do stuff like this all of the time (Not cheap). Also, reach out to whatever robot manufacturer you're using and see if they already have a tool for this.

Thanks
Have looked at Yamaha and the Trio Motion G code controller they sell.
Looks promising. Can do it with a 3D printer control circuit board as the brain (Duet 3D)
just to test concept, but to move to production, looking at something more industrial that will have to run 24/7 for production.
A robot could do it, but as you said, a lot of manual manipulation of the teaching and actually have spoke to a couple of robot manufacturers and they said the teaching would be pretty extensive and time consuming. When you dealing with multiple styles and hundreds of different patterns that can change constantly depending upon the orders, then in my mind a Gcode type interperter, controller is about the only option i can see. Hopeful that a vision camera could do it, but from talking to them and looking on the web, they more suited for a simpler pick and place, or something you could take the time and teach and it work great if you working with the same pattern etc. instead of possibly changing multiple times a day.
Once again, thanks, will take a look at the Canada group you mentioned.