Vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair method and system

Abstract

The present application relates to a vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair method, comprising the following steps: (1) scanning and / or photographing the vehicle body to determine the dent position; (2) locally photographing the dent part of the vehicle body; (3) uploading the dent photo to a database and classifying according to the neural network training result; (4) submitting the classification result to an expert system to analyze and calculate the dent type and repair method; (5) reconstructing the dent photo into a three-dimensional point cloud and comparing with the original model to obtain the dent range and dent degree data; (6) submitting the data to the expert system to analyze and calculate the repair method and repair force; (7) automatically repairing the vehicle body dent according to the repair method and repair force analyzed and calculated by the expert system. The present application can automatically detect and repair the vehicle body dent, overcome the defects of subjectivity, one-sidedness and complexity of visual inspection of the vehicle body dent, realize efficient vehicle body dent detection, and improve the efficiency and quality of vehicle body dent repair.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method and system for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents, belonging to the field of automotive repair technology. Background Technology

[0002] Car consumers are increasingly demanding low fuel consumption, and automakers are reducing overall vehicle weight to lower fuel consumption. Traditional body materials are gradually being replaced by new materials. High-strength steel is cheaper to manufacture than other materials and has high tensile strength and ductility, so it is currently the main material for passenger car body panels on the market. However, thinner body panels inevitably lead to reduced strength, making the car more prone to dents in accidents.

[0003] Currently, dent inspection is typically performed visually, and repair is usually done manually. Visual inspection involves carefully examining various parts of the vehicle under sufficient light at a specific angle (dents and bumps are easily visible due to light refraction in the paint). However, dents appear different from different angles, requiring workers to observe the vehicle from multiple angles and perspectives. This process is highly dependent on ambient lighting, requires precise viewing angles, is physically demanding, and is prone to omissions, resulting in low efficiency and repair quality. After initial dent repair, the repaired area needs to be observed from multiple angles to determine if the repair is complete, and the same issues arise during this process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art, this invention provides a visual inspection and repair method and system for vehicle body dents, which can automatically detect, analyze and repair vehicle body dents, effectively improving repair efficiency and quality.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention to achieve the above objective is: a method for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents, comprising the following steps:

[0006] (1) Scan and / or photograph the vehicle body to determine the location of the dent;

[0007] (2) Take partial photos of the dented parts of the car body;

[0008] (3) Upload the photos of the depressions to the database, train the classification module to extract the depression features based on the photo results, and classify them according to the neural network training results;

[0009] (4) The classification results are submitted to the expert system. The dent type and repair method analysis module analyzes the dent type and repair method based on the classification results of the training classification module. The repair methods include strong magnetic suction repair, glue gun suction cup adsorption and car dent removal machine suction out the dent.

[0010] (5) The three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction module performs three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction on the concave photos scanned and / or captured by the visual detection device, and the concave range and concave data comparison module compares the model reconstructed by the three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction module with the original model to analyze and obtain concave range and concave degree data.

[0011] (6) The data on the dent range and dent degree are submitted to the expert system. The calculation module analyzes and calculates the repair method and repair force based on the dent type and repair method analysis module and the dent range and dent degree data obtained by the dent type and repair method analysis module and the dent range and dent degree data obtained by the dent range and dent data comparison module. The repair method and repair force are the repair methods and repair forces that the automatic repair device can use to automatically repair the dents on the vehicle body.

[0012] (7) The automatic repair system automatically repairs the dents on the vehicle body according to the repair method and repair force calculated by the expert system. Before the automatic repair system automatically repairs the dents on the vehicle body, it assesses whether manual repair is required based on the repair method and repair force calculated by the expert system. If no manual repair is required, the automatic repair system automatically repairs the dents on the vehicle body. If manual repair is required, the system reminds the staff to perform the corresponding manual repair based on the automatic repair of the dents on the vehicle body. During the automatic repair of the dents on the vehicle body, the system scans and / or takes pictures of the vehicle body in real time and compares the pictures with the original model in real time to judge the repair effect.

[0013] Preferably, in step (1), the vehicle body is scanned and photographed in 360°.

[0014] Preferably, steps (3) and (5) are performed synchronously or in parallel.

[0015] Preferably, after the automatic repair of the dent on the vehicle body is completed, the vehicle body is scanned and / or photographed again, and the photos are compared with the original model to determine the repair effect.

[0016] Preferably, when comparing the photos of the vehicle body that are scanned again and / or taken with the original model, if the comparison results are consistent, the repair is completed; if the comparison results are inconsistent, steps (2) to (7) are repeated.

[0017] A vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system, employing any of the vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair methods disclosed in this invention to perform vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair, including:

[0018] A visual inspection device for scanning and / or photographing the vehicle body;

[0019] The data upload module is used to upload the concave photos scanned and / or photographed by the visual inspection device to the database;

[0020] The training classification module is used to extract and classify the indentation features based on the photographic results.

[0021] The dent type and repair method analysis module is used to analyze the dent type and repair method based on the classification results of the training classification module. The repair methods include strong magnetic suction repair, glue gun suction cup adsorption, and car dent removal machine suction out of the dent.

[0022] A 3D point cloud reconstruction module is used to reconstruct 3D point clouds from the concave photographs scanned and / or captured by the visual inspection device.

[0023] The concavity range and concavity data comparison module is used to compare the model reconstructed by the three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction module with the original model and analyze the concavity range and concavity degree data.

[0024] The calculation module is used to analyze and calculate the repair method and repair force based on the dent type and repair method obtained by the dent type and repair method analysis module and the dent range and dent degree data obtained by the dent range and dent data comparison module. The repair method and repair force are the repair methods and repair forces that the automatic repair device can use to automatically repair the dents on the vehicle body.

[0025] The operation output module is used to output the repair method and repair force obtained by the calculation module to the automatic repair device.

[0026] An automatic repair device is used to automatically repair vehicle body dents based on the repair methods and repair forces obtained from the analysis and calculation by the calculation module.

[0027] The manual intervention assessment module is used to assess whether additional manual repair is needed based on the repair methods and repair capabilities provided by the expert system. If no additional manual repair is needed, the automatic repair system will automatically repair the dent on the vehicle body. If additional manual repair is needed, the system will remind staff to perform the corresponding manual repair based on the automatic repair of the dent on the vehicle body.

[0028] The automatic repair evaluation module is used to compare the repair results with the original model and evaluate the effectiveness of the automatic repair.

[0029] and,

[0030] During the automatic dent repair process, the vehicle body is scanned and / or photographed in real time, and the photos are compared with the original model in real time to determine the repair effect.

[0031] Preferably, the visual inspection device includes a camera and / or infrared radar.

[0032] Preferably, the vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system further includes a vehicle rotation platform, which includes a chassis and a turntable located on the chassis. The turntable is rotatably connected to the chassis, and the turntable is equipped with a motor to drive its rotation.

[0033] Preferably, there are multiple automatic repair devices, which are mounted on the chassis. Each automatic repair device may include repair tools and a robotic arm that operates them.

[0034] The repair tools may include a denter, spray can, and sandpaper.

[0035] Preferably, the plurality of the automatic repair devices are respectively disposed on both sides of the turntable.

[0036] Preferably, the automatic repair device is slidably connected to the chassis.

[0037] Preferably, the number of the visual inspection devices is several, and the several visual inspection devices are disposed on the chassis and are slidably connected to the chassis.

[0038] Preferably, the visual inspection device is equipped with a lifting mechanism.

[0039] Preferably, the vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system further includes a host computer, with each module located within the host computer, which is equipped with a human-computer interaction interface.

[0040] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention can collect comprehensive body dent morphological features through a visual inspection device, use three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction technology, and analyze them using a database and expert system to achieve automatic detection and repair of body dents. It overcomes the defects of subjectivity, one-sidedness and complexity of traditional visual inspection of body dents, achieves high-efficiency body dent detection, and improves the efficiency and quality of body dent repair. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the visual inspection and repair method for vehicle body dents of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0043] See Figure 1 This invention discloses a method for visually detecting and repairing vehicle body dents, comprising the following steps:

[0044] (1) Scan and / or photograph the vehicle body to determine the location of the dent;

[0045] (2) Take partial photos of the dented parts of the car body;

[0046] (3) Upload the indentation photos to the database and classify them according to the neural network training results;

[0047] (4) The classification results are submitted to the expert system for analysis and calculation of the dent type and repair method;

[0048] (5) Reconstruct the three-dimensional point cloud from the concave photo and compare it with the original model to obtain the concave range and concaveness data;

[0049] (6) Submit the data to the expert system for analysis and calculation of the repair method and repair capacity;

[0050] (7) The automatic repair system automatically repairs the dents on the vehicle body according to the repair method and repair force calculated by the expert system.

[0051] In step (1), it is preferable to scan and photograph the vehicle body in 360° to achieve all-round and all-angle detection of the vehicle body.

[0052] In step (2), while taking local photos of the dented part of the vehicle body, it is preferable to simultaneously record the dent shape of the vehicle body to achieve real-time recording of the dent shape of the vehicle body and solve the subjective problem of the traditional method of visually inspecting the dent of the vehicle body.

[0053] In step (3), neural network training and classification of concave photographs according to the neural network training results can be carried out based on existing technologies.

[0054] Steps (3) and (5) are preferably performed simultaneously to save data analysis and processing time.

[0055] The repair methods in step (4) preferably include strong magnetic attraction repair, glue gun suction cup adsorption, and car dent removal machine to extract the dent, and may also include other methods suitable for repairing car body dents under existing technology.

[0056] In step (7), before the automatic repair system automatically repairs the dent on the vehicle body, it is preferable to assess whether additional manual repair is needed based on the repair method and repair force calculated by the expert system (assess whether the repair method and repair force calculated by the expert system can completely repair the dent on the vehicle body). If no additional manual repair is needed, the automatic repair system will automatically repair the dent on the vehicle body. If additional manual repair is needed, the system will remind the staff to perform the corresponding manual repair based on the automatic repair of the dent on the vehicle body by the automatic repair system.

[0057] After the automatic repair of the dent on the car body is completed, it is preferable to scan and / or photograph the car body again and compare the photos with the original model to determine the repair effect (whether the dent on the car body is completely repaired). If the comparison results are consistent, the repair is complete; if the comparison results are inconsistent, repeat steps (2) to (7). Alternatively, during the automatic repair of the dent on the car body, the car body can be scanned and / or photographed in real time and compared with the original model in real time to determine the repair effect.

[0058] See Figure 2 The present invention also discloses a vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system using the aforementioned vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair method, comprising:

[0059] The visual inspection device 1 is used to scan and / or photograph the vehicle body;

[0060] The data upload module is used to upload the concave photos scanned and / or photographed by the visual inspection device to the database;

[0061] The training classification module is used to extract indentation features and classify them based on the photographic results (determining the location, type, and shape of the indentation).

[0062] The dent type and repair method analysis module is used to analyze the dent type and repair method (e.g., strong magnetic attraction repair, glue gun suction cup adsorption, car dent removal machine to remove dents, etc.) based on the classification results of the training classification module.

[0063] A 3D point cloud reconstruction module is used to reconstruct 3D point clouds from the concave photographs scanned and / or captured by the visual inspection device.

[0064] The concavity range and concavity data comparison module is used to compare the model reconstructed by the three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction module with the original model and analyze the concavity range and concavity degree data.

[0065] The calculation module is used to analyze and calculate the repair method and repair force based on the dent type and repair method obtained by the dent type and repair method analysis module and the dent range and dent degree data obtained by the dent range and dent data comparison module.

[0066] The operation output module is used to output the repair method and repair force obtained by the calculation module to the automatic repair device.

[0067] and,

[0068] Automatic repair device 2 is used to automatically repair vehicle body dents based on the repair method and repair force obtained by the calculation module.

[0069] The vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system preferably also includes a manual intervention assessment module, which is used to assess whether additional manual repair is needed based on the repair methods and repair capabilities provided by the expert system.

[0070] The vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system preferably also includes an automatic repair evaluation module, which is used to compare the repair results with the original model and evaluate the automatic repair effect.

[0071] The visual inspection device preferably includes a camera and / or an infrared radar, wherein the camera is used to acquire images of vehicle body dents, and the infrared radar is used to acquire data on the depth of the dents.

[0072] The vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system preferably also includes a vehicle rotation platform for rotating the vehicle to facilitate 360° scanning and photography of the vehicle body. The vehicle rotation platform includes a chassis 3 and a turntable 4 located on the chassis, with the turntable rotatably connected to the chassis. The turntable is equipped with a motor to drive its rotation. The turntable is preferably located at the center of the chassis.

[0073] The number of the automatic repair devices is preferably multiple (e.g., four, five, or six), which can simultaneously repair multiple dents on the vehicle body, or perform different repair operations according to the type of dent. The multiple automatic repair devices are preferably mounted on the chassis. Each automatic repair device may include repair tools and a robotic arm that operates them. The repair tools may include a dent repair machine, spray can, and sandpaper, and may also include other tools suitable for vehicle body dent repair in the prior art.

[0074] The multiple automatic repair devices are preferably divided into two groups, and the two groups of automatic repair devices are preferably located on the left and right sides of the turntable, so as to facilitate simultaneous repair of opposite sides of the vehicle body.

[0075] The automatic repair device is preferably slidably connected to the chassis, facilitating its movement on the chassis. The position of the corresponding automatic repair device (one or more automatic repair devices closest to or near the dent) on the chassis can be adjusted according to the location of the dent, ensuring the automatic repair device is aligned with, or as close as possible to, the dent, thus facilitating the automatic repair process.

[0076] The sliding engagement between the automatic repair device and the chassis can be achieved by: providing slide rails 5 on the left and right sides of the turntable on the chassis, the slide rails extending in the front-to-back direction, the automatic repair device having a base, and a groove on the bottom surface of the base that mates with the slide rails, the grooves slidingly engaging with the slide rails (installation). The automatic repair device can, according to existing technology, include a control device to drive it to slide along the slide rails.

[0077] The number of the visual inspection devices is several (e.g., two, three, or four), which can simultaneously scan and / or photograph different parts of the vehicle body (e.g., dents in different locations). These visual inspection devices are typically mounted on the chassis, and can be all located on one side of the turntable, or divided into two groups, located on the left and right sides of the turntable respectively.

[0078] The visual inspection device is preferably slidably connected to the chassis, facilitating its movement on the chassis. The position of the corresponding visual inspection device (one or more visual inspection devices closest to or near the scanning and / or shooting position) on the chassis can be adjusted according to the vehicle body scanning and / or shooting requirements, ensuring that the visual inspection device is aligned with, or as close as possible to, the scanning and / or shooting position, facilitating the implementation and execution of automatic scanning and / or shooting operations.

[0079] The visual inspection device can employ the same sliding engagement method as the automatic repair device and the chassis. The visual inspection device can, according to existing technology, be equipped with a control device to drive it to slide along the slide rail.

[0080] To simplify the structure of the vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system, the visual inspection device can share the same base 6 with the automatic repair device on the same side. For example, the number of visual inspection devices and automatic repair devices on the same side of the turntable is the same and they correspond one-to-one, with the corresponding visual inspection devices and automatic repair devices sharing the same base. Alternatively, the number of visual inspection devices and automatic repair devices on the same side of the turntable can be different. In this case, the corresponding visual inspection devices and automatic repair devices share the same base, while additional visual inspection devices or automatic repair devices use their own bases.

[0081] The visual inspection device preferably includes a lifting mechanism, such as a lifting cylinder or a screw jack, to allow for height adjustment, which facilitates scanning and / or photographing of the vehicle body. The lifting mechanism can be equipped with a control device for driving its lifting, based on existing technology. The automatic repair device may also include the same lifting mechanism and control device as the visual inspection device.

[0082] The vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system preferably also includes a host computer, where each module can be housed to form an expert system, and a database can be stored within the host computer. The host computer can control the drive motor of the turntable, the automatic repair device, the sliding and lifting control devices of the visual inspection device, and the robotic arm, etc., based on existing technology. Preferably, the host computer has a human-machine interface to facilitate information retrieval and command operation.

[0083] Unless otherwise specified or further limited to one preferred or optional technical means being another, the preferred and optional technical means disclosed in this invention can be arbitrarily combined to form several different technical solutions.

Claims

1. A method for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents, characterized in that... Includes the following steps: (1) Scan and / or photograph the vehicle body using a visual inspection device to determine the location of the dent; (2) Take partial photos of the dented parts of the car body; (3) Upload the photos of the depressions to the database, train the classification module to extract the depression features based on the photo results, and classify them according to the neural network training results; (4) The classification results are submitted to the expert system. The dent type and repair method analysis module analyzes the dent type and repair method based on the classification results of the training classification module. The repair methods include strong magnetic suction repair, glue gun suction cup adsorption and car dent removal machine suction out the dent. (5) The three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction module performs three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction on the concave photos scanned and / or captured by the visual detection device, and the concave range and concave data comparison module compares the model reconstructed by the three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction module with the original model to analyze and obtain concave range and concave degree data. (6) The data on the dent range and dent degree are submitted to the expert system. The calculation module analyzes and calculates the repair method and repair force based on the dent type and repair method analysis module and the dent range and dent degree data obtained by the dent type and repair method analysis module and the dent range and dent degree data obtained by the dent range and dent data comparison module. The repair method and repair force are the repair methods and repair forces that the automatic repair device can use to automatically repair the dents on the vehicle body. (7) The automatic repair system automatically repairs the dents on the vehicle body according to the repair method and repair force calculated by the expert system. Before the automatic repair system automatically repairs the dents on the vehicle body, it assesses whether manual repair is required based on the repair method and repair force calculated by the expert system. If no manual repair is required, the automatic repair system automatically repairs the dents on the vehicle body. If manual repair is required, the system reminds the staff to perform the corresponding manual repair based on the automatic repair of the dents on the vehicle body. During the automatic repair of the dents on the vehicle body, the system scans and / or takes pictures of the vehicle body in real time and compares the pictures with the original model in real time to judge the repair effect.

2. The method for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents as described in claim 1, characterized in that... In step (1), the vehicle body is scanned and photographed in 360°.

3. The method for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents as described in claim 1, characterized in that... Steps (3) and (5) are performed synchronously / in parallel.

4. The method for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents as described in claim 1, characterized in that... After the automatic repair of the dent on the car body is completed, the car body is scanned and / or photographed again, and the photos are compared with the original model to determine the repair effect.

5. The method for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents as described in claim 4, characterized in that... When comparing the scanned and / or photographed car body with the original model, if the comparison results are consistent, the repair is complete; if the comparison results are inconsistent, repeat steps (2) to (7).

6. A vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system, characterized in that... The method for visual inspection and repair of vehicle body dents according to any one of claims 1-5 includes: A visual inspection device for scanning and / or photographing the vehicle body; The data upload module is used to upload the concave photos scanned and / or photographed by the visual inspection device to the database; The training classification module is used to extract and classify the indentation features based on the photographic results. The dent type and repair method analysis module is used to analyze the dent type and repair method based on the classification results of the training classification module. The repair methods include strong magnetic suction repair, glue gun suction cup adsorption, and car dent removal machine suction out of the dent. A 3D point cloud reconstruction module is used to reconstruct 3D point clouds from the concave photographs scanned and / or captured by the visual inspection device. The concavity range and concavity data comparison module is used to compare the model reconstructed by the three-dimensional point cloud reconstruction module with the original model and analyze the concavity range and concavity degree data. The calculation module is used to analyze and calculate the repair method and repair force based on the dent type and repair method obtained by the dent type and repair method analysis module and the dent range and dent degree data obtained by the dent range and dent data comparison module. The repair method and repair force are the repair methods and repair forces that the automatic repair device can use to automatically repair the dents on the vehicle body. The operation output module is used to output the repair method and repair force obtained by the calculation module to the automatic repair device. An automatic repair device is used to automatically repair vehicle body dents based on the repair method and repair force obtained by the calculation module. The manual intervention assessment module is used to assess whether additional manual repair is needed based on the repair methods and repair capabilities provided by the expert system. If no additional manual repair is needed, the automatic repair system will automatically repair the dent on the vehicle body. If additional manual repair is needed, the system will remind staff to perform the corresponding manual repair based on the automatic repair of the dent on the vehicle body. The automatic repair evaluation module is used to compare the repair results with the original model and evaluate the effectiveness of the automatic repair. and, During the automatic dent repair process, the vehicle body is scanned and / or photographed in real time, and the photos are compared with the original model in real time to determine the repair effect.

7. The vehicle body dent visual inspection and repair system as described in claim 6, characterized in that... The visual inspection device includes a camera and / or infrared radar.

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