Inspection system

Abstract

This inspection system provides a method for reducing the time required to inspect workpieces, even when inspecting workpieces with complex shapes. [Solution] This inspection system 100 includes an illumination unit 30 that irradiates illumination light onto a workpiece 200, an imaging unit 70 that images the workpiece 200, and robots 10 and 50 that move the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70 relative to the workpiece 200. The imaging-side working distance CWD, which is the distance between the workpiece 200 and the imaging unit 70, is greater than the illumination-side working distance LWD, which is the distance between the workpiece 200 and the illumination unit 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inspection system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an inspection system including a robot has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection system including a robot arm as a robot. In this inspection system, a lighting device and a camera are attached to the tip of the robot arm. In this inspection system, the lighting device and the camera are moved by the robot arm according to a preset path, and an object is photographed by the lighting device and the camera at a preset photographing position. Based on the photographed image of the object, the presence or absence of damage to the object is inspected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the inspection system as described in Patent Document 1 above, a workpiece having a complex shape may be inspected as an object. When inspecting a workpiece having a complex shape, if the depth of field of the camera is small, the range where the focus is not achieved increases, so it is necessary to increase the number of paths for the robot to inspect the workpiece. Specifically, even with a slight change in the shape of the workpiece, it falls outside the range where the focus is achieved, and it is necessary to set another path, so the number of paths increases. In this case, the time required to inspect the workpiece increases. Therefore, even when inspecting a workpiece having a complex shape, it is desired to shorten the time required to inspect the workpiece.

[0005] Note: In the original text, there is a tag

[0003] which seems to be an incorrect tag number in the context. I have marked it as <X000015> in the translation for clarity. If this is a specific format requirement, it may need to be adjusted according to the actual situation.This disclosure was made to solve the problems described above, and one of its objectives is to provide an inspection system that can reduce the time required to inspect a workpiece, even when inspecting workpieces with complex shapes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the inspection system using a single plane comprises an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto a workpiece, an imaging unit that images the workpiece, and a robot that moves at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit relative to the workpiece, wherein the imaging-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the imaging unit, is greater than the illumination-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the illumination unit.

[0007] In a single-plane inspection system, as described above, the imaging-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the imaging unit, is greater than the illumination-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the illumination unit. This allows for a larger depth of field in the imaging unit. As a result, even when inspecting workpieces with complex shapes, the range of focus can be increased, reducing the number of inspection paths the robot must take. In other words, minor changes in the shape of the workpiece can be included within the range of focus, eliminating the need to set up separate paths and thus reducing the number of paths. This reduces the time required to inspect workpieces, even those with complex shapes. Furthermore, by reducing the illumination-side working distance, the amount of light reflected from the workpiece can be increased. As a result, the amount of light entering the imaging unit can be increased, allowing for a shorter exposure time even when the imaging-side working distance is increased. This also reduces the time required to inspect the workpiece. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, as described above, the time required to inspect a workpiece can be reduced, even when inspecting a workpiece with a complex shape. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic diagram of an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure illustrates an example of a signal generated by an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates the relative movement of the lighting unit of an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates the imaging process in response to the relative movement of the illumination unit of an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates the curved relative movement of the lighting section of an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates the imaging of specular and diffuse reflected light in an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates specular and diffuse reflected light images of an inspection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows a robot according to a modified embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The configuration of the inspection system 100 according to one embodiment will be described.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the inspection system 100 performs inspection work on the workpiece 200. The inspection system 100 is, for example, a visual inspection system that inspects the appearance of the workpiece 200. The workpiece 200 is, for example, a painted object. The inspection system 100 inspects, for example, for defects in the paint of the workpiece 200. The inspection system 100 is also a robotic system.

[0012] The inspection system 100 includes a robot 10 and a control device 20 that controls the robot 10. The inspection system 100 also includes a lighting unit 30 and a lighting control unit 40 that controls the lighting unit 30. The inspection system 100 also includes a robot 50 and a control device 60 that controls the robot 50. The inspection system 100 also includes an imaging unit 70 and an imaging control unit 80 that controls the imaging unit 70. The inspection system 100 also includes a display unit 90 that displays information such as inspection results. The display unit 90 includes a monitor such as an LCD monitor. Robot 10 is an example of a position change unit, an illumination-side position change unit, and an illumination-side robot. Robot 50 is an example of a position change unit, an imaging-side position change unit, and an imaging-side robot. The imaging control unit 80 is an example of a control unit.

[0013] Robot 10 is, for example, an industrial robot. Robot 10 includes multiple joints. For example, robot 10 includes a 6-axis vertical articulated joint. Robot 10 includes an articulated robot arm. Robot 10 is powered by AC power supplied from an external source. A lighting unit 30 is located on robot 10. Robot 10 moves the lighting unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the control device 20 includes a robot control unit 21, a signal output unit 22, and a signal output unit 23. The signal output unit 23 has an enable generation unit 24 and a pulse generation unit 25. The signal output unit 23 is an example of a control unit.

[0015] The robot control unit 21 controls the movement of the robot 10. Specifically, the robot control unit 21 controls the operation of the robot 10 by controlling the power supplied to the motors 14 provided at each joint of the robot 10. Further, the robot control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The robot control unit 21 performs control to operate the robot 10 by executing a predetermined program. Also, the robot control unit 21 receives an instruction for the operation of the robot 10 from the user and performs control so that the robot 10 performs an operation based on the instruction. Specifically, the robot control unit 21 receives the position and orientation of the control point of the robot 10 and calculates the operation of each joint of the robot 10. The robot control unit 21 performs control to move the robot 10 along a taught path for the robot 10 to inspect the workpiece 200. A plurality of paths are set.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 10 includes six joints 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, and 12f, and links 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, and 13e connecting the respective joints. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a motor 14 composed of a servo motor and a position detection unit 15 for detecting the rotational position of each joint are provided at each of the six joints 12a to 12f. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the robot 10 has an illumination unit 30 attached to one tip end. Further, the robot 10 includes a base 11 provided at the other tip end and attached to a floor, wall, pillar, or the like.

[0017] Each of the six joints 12a to 12f rotates by the drive of the motor 14.

[0018] The joint 12a of the first axis is connected to the base 11. The joint 12a rotates the link 13a with respect to the base 11. The joint 12b of the second axis rotates the link 13b with respect to the link 13a. The joint 12c of the third axis rotates the link 13c with respect to the link 13b. The joint 12d of the fourth axis rotates the link 13d with respect to the link 13c. The joint 12e of the fifth axis rotates the link 13e with respect to the link 13d. The joint 12f of the sixth axis rotates the lighting unit 30 with respect to the link 13e.

[0019] The lighting unit 30 irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece 200. The lighting unit 30 has a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The lighting unit 30 includes, for example, bar lighting. The lighting unit 30 may include area lighting or the like. The lighting unit 30 irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece 200 while relatively moving with respect to the workpiece 200.

[0020] The lighting control unit 40 controls the irradiation of illumination light from the lighting unit 30 onto the workpiece 200. The lighting control unit 40 controls the irradiation of illumination light from the lighting unit 30 onto the workpiece 200 based on a signal output from the signal output unit 22 of the control device 20.

[0021] The robot 50 is, for example, an industrial robot or the like. The robot 50 includes a plurality of joints. For example, the robot 50 includes a six-axis vertical multi-joint. The robot 50 includes a multi-joint robot arm. The robot 50 operates with alternating current power supplied from the outside. An imaging unit 70 is arranged on the robot 50. The robot 50 relatively moves the imaging unit 70 with respect to the workpiece 200.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 60 includes a robot control unit 61 and a signal output unit 62. The signal output unit 23 has an enable generation unit 24 and a pulse generation unit 25.

[0023] The robot control unit 61 controls the movement of the robot 50. Specifically, the robot control unit 61 controls the movement of the robot 50 by controlling the power supplied to the motors 54 provided at each joint of the robot 50. The robot control unit 61 also includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. The robot control unit 61 controls the operation of the robot 50 by executing a predetermined program. The robot control unit 61 also receives instructions from the user regarding the movement of the robot 50 and controls the robot 50 to perform the movements based on the instructions. Specifically, the robot control unit 61 receives the position and orientation of the control points of the robot 50 and calculates the movement of each joint of the robot 50. The robot control unit 61 controls the movement of the robot 50 according to a taught path for the robot 50 to inspect the workpiece 200. Multiple paths can be set.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the robot 50 includes six joints 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, 52e, and 52f, and links 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d, and 53e connecting each joint. Each of the six joints 52a to 52f is also provided with a motor 54 consisting of a servo motor and a position detection unit 55 for detecting the rotational position of each joint, as shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 1, an imaging unit 70 is attached to one end of the robot 50. The robot 50 also includes a base 51 attached to the other end, which can be mounted on a floor, wall, column, etc.

[0025] Each of the six joints 52a to 52f rotates under the drive of motor 54.

[0026] The first-axis joint 52a is connected to the base 51. Joint 52a rotates link 53a relative to the base 51. The second-axis joint 52b rotates link 53b relative to link 53a. The third-axis joint 52c rotates link 53c relative to link 53b. The fourth-axis joint 52d rotates link 53d relative to link 53c. The fifth-axis joint 52e rotates link 53e relative to link 53d. The sixth-axis joint 52f rotates the imaging unit 70 relative to link 53e.

[0027] The imaging unit 70 images the workpiece 200. The imaging unit 70 is a camera having an optical system such as a lens. The imaging unit 70 includes, for example, an area camera having a wide-angle lens with a short focal length. Alternatively, the imaging unit 70 may include, for example, a prism spectrophotometer, a hyperspectral camera, or an RGB color camera. The imaging unit 70 images the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200 at a slower speed than the illumination unit 30, or it images the workpiece 200 while repeatedly stopping and moving relative to the workpiece 200.

[0028] The imaging control unit 80 controls the imaging of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70. The imaging control unit 80 controls the imaging of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70 based on the signal output from the signal output unit 62 of the control device 60 and the signal output from the signal output unit 23 of the control device 20.

[0029] Here, the imaging control unit 80 controls the imaging of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70 based on the signal output from the signal output unit 23 of the control device 20.

[0030] Furthermore, the signal output unit 23 outputs a signal based on the relative movement of the lighting unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, for each movement of the lighting unit 30 located at the tip of the robot 10. Specifically, the signal output unit 23 generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement of the lighting unit 30 based on the detection result of the position detection unit 15. More specifically, the robot control unit 21 acquires the detection result of the position detection unit 15 and calculates the relative movement of the lighting unit 30 based on the acquired detection result of the position detection unit 15. The signal output unit 23 acquires the relative movement of the lighting unit 30 calculated by the robot control unit 21 and generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement of the lighting unit 30 based on the acquired relative movement of the lighting unit 30.

[0031] Specifically, the signal output unit 23 outputs a variable-frequency pulse signal based on the relative movement of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 for each relative movement of the illumination unit 30. For example, the signal output unit 23 generates a pulse enable using the enable generation unit 24. The signal output unit 23 also generates a pulse signal using the pulse generation unit 25 based on the pulse enable generated by the enable generation unit 24.

[0032] Furthermore, the signal output unit 23 outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 for each relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the signal output unit 23 generates and outputs a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 at predetermined processing cycles. In other words, the signal output unit 23 acquires the end-effector movement amount as the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 at predetermined processing cycles. The signal output unit 23 then generates a number of pulse signals corresponding to the acquired relative movement amount. A pulse signal is generated for every x mm of relative movement. For example, if the relative movement is 5x mm in a predetermined cycle, five pulse signals are generated within the predetermined cycle. A pulse signal is counted as one on the rising edge and one on the falling edge. In other words, a pulse signal is counted as two due to the rising and falling edges. The frequency of the output pulse is variable, for example, in the range from 0 Hz to several MHz. In other words, as the relative movement amount increases, the frequency of the output pulse increases, and as the relative movement amount decreases, the frequency of the output pulse decreases.

[0033] In the example shown in Figure 3, the control period is 2 msec, and the amount of movement is acquired at each control period, with a pulse signal output based on the amount of movement. Note that the end-effector movement in Figure 3 represents the cumulative amount of movement from 0 mm. In other words, the difference in end-effector movement from the previous control period is acquired as the relative movement in the current control period. For example, if the end-effector movement in the previous control period was 10 mm and the end-effector movement in the current control period is 16 mm, the relative movement in the current control period will be acquired as 6 mm. Also, in the example shown in Figure 3, the pulse resolution is set to 1 mm / pulse. In other words, one pulse signal is output for every 1 mm movement. For example, if the movement is 2 mm, the number of output pulses is set to 2, and the pulse frequency is 1 kHz. If the movement is 3 mm, the number of output pulses is set to 3, and the pulse frequency is 1.5 kHz.

[0034] The signal output unit 23 outputs a pulse enable signal from the enable generation unit 24 at the start of a predetermined processing cycle, and the pulse generation unit 25 starts outputting pulses simultaneously with the pulse enable signal output. Furthermore, when the pulse generation unit 25 outputs its last pulse, the signal output unit 23 stops outputting the pulse enable signal from the enable generation unit 24. This prevents a surge in processing at the beginning of a predetermined processing cycle. As a result, there is no need to provide buffer time for calculations.

[0035] The signal output unit 23 may continuously output a pulse enable signal to the pulse generation unit 25 via the enable generation unit 24. Alternatively, the signal output unit 23 may stop outputting the pulse enable signal for a sufficiently small calculation period correction amount relative to the processing cycle via the enable generation unit 24. This ensures sufficient buffer time for calculations. For example, the calculation period correction amount is 40 μsec for a processing cycle of 2 msec.

[0036] Furthermore, the signal output unit 23 may, within the processing cycle, initially pause before generating pulses from the pulse generation unit 25. In other words, the signal output unit 23 outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, so it does not output a pulse when the relative movement of the illumination unit 30, which is zero, begins.

[0037] The signal output unit 23 includes, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and processing is performed by the FPGA.

[0038] If the CPU controlling robot 10 were to directly control the pulse output function, the CPU load would increase, potentially making it impossible to accurately control high-frequency pulses. Therefore, the pulse output is controlled using a pulse control processing unit, such as an FPGA, which is separate from the CPU controlling robot 10.

[0039] The CPU controlling the robot 10 calculates the relative movement of the end-effector, and the pulse control processing unit controls the pulse frequency and number of pulses based on the relative movement of the end-effector. By dividing the processing in this way, accurate pulse output is possible. Furthermore, since the pulse output section is controlled by a separately provided processing unit, the pulse output specifications, such as pulse-to-distance conversion and n-multiplied pulses, can be easily changed and expanded by changing the control parameters.

[0040] Furthermore, the signal output unit 23 acquires the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 during a predetermined processing cycle and outputs a pulse signal assuming that the relative movement is constant during the predetermined processing cycle. However, since the predetermined processing cycle is sufficiently small, even assuming a constant relative movement, it is not significantly different from the actual relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30.

[0041] Furthermore, the signal output unit 23 may acquire the relative movement amount of the lighting unit 30 based on the actual movement of the lighting unit 30, or it may acquire the relative movement amount of the lighting unit 30 based on the movement command of the robot 10 from the robot control unit 21.

[0042] Furthermore, when the robot 10 is moved by an external moving mechanism, the signal output unit 23 takes into account the movement by the external moving mechanism to obtain the relative movement amount of the lighting unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200. The external moving mechanism includes a travel axis and a rotary table that move the base 11 of the robot 10.

[0043] The relative movement of the illumination unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200 is obtained based on the movement of the control point TCP shown in Figure 4, which controls the movement of the robot 10. The control point TCP for controlling the movement of the robot 10 is set, for example, to the illumination position of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200.

[0044] The imaging control unit 80 controls the imaging of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70 based on the pulse signals generated by the signal output unit 23. Specifically, the imaging control unit 80 controls the imaging of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70 using the pulse signals output from the signal output unit 23 as a trigger. The imaging control unit 80 controls the timing of the imaging of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70 based on the pulse signals generated by the signal output unit 23. Based on the pulse signals output from the signal output unit 23, the imaging control unit 80 causes the imaging unit 70 to image the workpiece 200 at regular intervals of a certain amount of movement. For example, the imaging control unit 80 counts the pulse signals output from the signal output unit 23 to obtain the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30. Then, the imaging control unit 80 causes the imaging unit 70 to image the workpiece 200 each time the illumination unit 30 moves by a certain amount of movement. When the imaging unit 70 moves at a low speed, the imaging unit 70 takes an image of the workpiece 200 each time the illumination unit 30 moves a certain amount while the imaging unit 70 is moving at a low speed. Also, when the imaging unit 70 repeatedly stops and moves, the imaging unit 70 stops moving, and the imaging unit 70 takes an image of the workpiece 200 each time the illumination unit 30 moves a certain amount.

[0045] The robot control unit 21 moves the illumination unit 30 in a curved relative position to the workpiece 200 by the robot 10 along the surface of the workpiece 200. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the robot control unit 21 moves the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 which is curved in the vertical direction by the robot 10. In this case, the imaging control unit 80 controls the imaging unit 70 to take an image of the workpiece 200 for each movement amount L1 of the control point TCP.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the robot control unit 21 moves the illumination unit 30 in a curved relative motion along the illumination work path which has a curved portion of the workpiece 200 using the robot 10. In this case, the illumination control unit 40 controls the imaging unit 70 to take an image of the workpiece 200 for each movement amount L1 of the control point TCP.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, a signal A is turned on in response to the output of a pulse signal for each movement amount L1, causing the imaging unit 70 to take an image of the workpiece 200. In addition, the imaging control unit 80 turns on a signal A in response to each movement amount L1 of the illumination unit 30, regardless of the movement speed of the illumination unit 30, causing the imaging unit 70 to take an image of the workpiece 200.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the imaging-side working distance CWD, which is the distance between the workpiece 200 and the imaging unit 70, is greater than the illumination-side working distance LWD, which is the distance between the workpiece 200 and the illumination unit 30. That is, the imaging unit 70 images the workpiece 200 at a position further away from the workpiece 200 than the illumination unit 30. The imaging unit 70 images the workpiece 200 at a position spaced apart from the workpiece 200. The illumination unit 30 illuminates the workpiece 200 with illumination light at a position closer to the workpiece 200 than the imaging unit 70. The illumination unit 30 illuminates the workpiece 200 with illumination light at a position near the workpiece 200. The illumination unit 30 illuminates the workpiece 200 with illumination light in such a way that it emphasizes the edges of the workpiece 200. The imaging-side working distance CWD is the distance from the imaging unit 70 to the imaging position of the workpiece 200 in the optical axis direction of the imaging unit 70. The working distance LWD on the illumination side is the distance from the illumination unit 30 to the illumination position of the workpiece 200 in the optical axis direction of the illumination unit 30.

[0049] The imaging unit 70 has a wide-angle lens so that it can focus with a relatively large imaging-side working distance (CWD). The larger the imaging-side working distance (CWD), the greater the depth of field. The imaging unit 70 also has a wide-angle lens with a short focal length so that it can achieve a relatively large field of view. The larger the field of view, the greater the range that can be captured at once. The imaging unit 70 is configured to be able to image the workpiece 200 with a relatively large depth of field and a relatively large field of view.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inspection system 100 includes a position changing unit that can change at least one of the illumination-side working distance LWD and the imaging-side working distance CWD by changing the position of at least one of the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70. The position changing unit includes an illumination-side position changing unit that changes the illumination-side working distance LWD by changing the position of the illumination unit 30, and an imaging-side position changing unit that changes the imaging-side working distance CWD by changing the position of the imaging unit 70. The illumination-side position changing unit is configured by a robot 10. The imaging-side position changing unit is configured by a robot 50.

[0051] For example, the robot 10 changes the working distance LWD on the lighting side depending on the type of workpiece 200 or the type of lighting unit 30. The robot 10 changes the working distance LWD on the lighting side by changing the position of the lighting unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 by driving one of the relevant joints from a plurality of joints 12a to 12f. The robot 10 changes the working distance LWD on the lighting side to make it larger or smaller.

[0052] For example, the robot 50 changes the imaging-side working distance CWD depending on the type of workpiece 200 or the type of imaging unit 70. The robot 50 changes the imaging-side working distance CWD by changing the position of the imaging unit 70 relative to the workpiece 200 by driving one of the relevant joints from a plurality of joints 52a to 52f. The robot 50 changes the imaging-side working distance CWD to be larger or smaller.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the robot 10 can change the angle of the illumination unit 30. Also, the robot 50 can change the angle of the imaging unit 70.

[0054] For example, the robot 10 changes the angle of the illumination unit 30 depending on the shape of the workpiece 200, or whether it wants to image specular or diffuse reflected light. The robot 10 changes the angle of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 according to the shape of the workpiece 200. The robot 10 also changes the angle of the illumination unit 30 relative to the imaging unit 70 depending on whether it wants to image specular or diffuse reflected light. The robot 10 changes the angle of the illumination unit 30 by driving one of the relevant joints from a plurality of joints 12a to 12f.

[0055] For example, the robot 50 changes the angle of the imaging unit 70 depending on the shape of the workpiece 200, or whether it wants to image specular or diffuse reflected light. The robot 50 changes the angle of the optical axis of the imaging unit 70 relative to the workpiece 200 according to the shape of the workpiece 200. The robot 50 also changes the angle of the imaging unit 70 relative to the illumination unit 30 depending on whether it wants to image specular or diffuse reflected light. The robot 50 changes the angle of the imaging unit 70 by driving one of the relevant joints from a plurality of joints 52a to 52f.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the imaging control unit 80 acquires a specular reflection region SIM by imaging the specular reflected light SRL reflected by the workpiece 200 using the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70, and a diffuse reflection region DIM by imaging the diffuse reflected light DRL reflected by the workpiece 200 using the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70. In the example shown in Figure 8, one inspection image IM includes both the specular reflection region SIM and the diffuse reflection region DIM. The specular reflection region SIM is included in the inspection image IM as a relatively bright region where the specular reflected light SRL is captured. The diffuse reflection region DIM is included in the inspection image IM as a relatively dark region where the diffuse reflected light DRL is captured. The imaging unit 70 outputs an inspection image IM that includes both the specular reflection region SIM and the diffuse reflection region DIM by capturing both the specular reflected light SRL and the diffuse reflected light DRL at the same time. The imaging control unit 80 acquires an inspection image IM that includes both the specular reflection region SIM and the diffuse reflection region DIM. Note that the specular reflection region SIM and diffuse reflection region DIM are examples of specular and diffuse reflection images, respectively.

[0057] The imaging control unit 80 acquires multiple inspection images IM by having the imaging unit 70 image the workpiece 200 at regular intervals of movement of the illumination unit 30. The imaging control unit 80 controls each of the multiple inspection images IM to detect defects in the workpiece 200. If a defect exists in the workpiece 200, the defective area in the inspection image IM will have a different brightness value from the surrounding area, making it possible to detect it through image processing. For example, the imaging control unit 80 controls the detection of defects in the coating of the workpiece 200. Defects in the coating of the workpiece 200 include scratches, blemishes, or paint defects. Scratches or blemishes are preferably detected from the specular reflection region (SIM). Scratches or paint defects are preferably detected from the diffuse reflection region (DIM).

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the imaging control unit 80 controls the display unit 90 to display a specular reflection composite image CSIM, which is obtained by combining multiple specular reflection regions SIM acquired at multiple imaging positions, and a diffuse reflection composite image CDIM, which is obtained by combining multiple diffuse reflection regions DIM acquired at multiple imaging positions. The specular reflection composite image CSIM and the diffuse reflection composite image CDIM may be displayed on the display unit 90 simultaneously, or they may be displayed individually on the display unit 90. Note that the specular reflection composite image CSIM and the diffuse reflection composite image CDIM are not used to detect defects in the workpiece 200, but are images used by the operator to confirm defects in the workpiece 200. However, the specular reflection composite image CSIM and the diffuse reflection composite image CDIM may be used to detect defects in the workpiece 200.

[0059] The imaging control unit 80, for example, synthesizes multiple specular reflection region SIMs acquired along one path of the robot 10 to obtain a specular reflection composite image CSIM, and controls the output of the acquired specular reflection composite image CSIM to the display unit 90. The imaging control unit 80 also extracts specular reflection region SIMs from each of the multiple inspection image IMs, and synthesizes the extracted specular reflection region SIMs to obtain a specular reflection composite image CSIM.

[0060] The imaging control unit 80, for example, synthesizes multiple diffuse reflection regions DIM acquired along one path of the robot 10 to obtain a diffuse reflection composite image CDIM, and controls the output of the obtained diffuse reflection composite image CDIM to the display unit 90. The imaging control unit 80 also extracts diffuse reflection regions DIM from each of the multiple inspection images IM, and synthesizes the extracted diffuse reflection regions DIM to obtain a diffuse reflection composite image CDIM.

[0061] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0062] In this embodiment, as described above, the imaging-side working distance CWD, which is the distance between the workpiece 200 and the imaging unit 70, is greater than the illumination-side working distance LWD, which is the distance between the workpiece 200 and the illumination unit 30. This allows the depth of field of the imaging unit 70 to be increased. As a result, even when inspecting a workpiece 200 with a complex shape, the range in focus can be increased, thus reducing the number of paths that the robots 10 and 50 take to inspect the workpiece 200. In other words, even slight changes in the shape of the workpiece 200 can be included in the range in focus, eliminating the need to set up a separate path and reducing the number of paths. This reduces the time required to inspect the workpiece 200, even when inspecting a workpiece 200 with a complex shape. Furthermore, since the illumination-side working distance LWD can be reduced, the amount of light reflected from the workpiece 200 can be increased. As a result, the amount of light entering the imaging unit 70 can be increased, so even when the imaging-side working distance CWD is increased, the exposure time can be reduced. This also reduces the time required to inspect workpiece 200.

[0063] Furthermore, even if the area illuminated by the illumination light on the workpiece 200 is narrow, slight changes in the shape of the workpiece 200 can cause it to fall outside the illuminated area, resulting in a large number of paths. In contrast, in this embodiment, since it is possible to illuminate the workpiece 200 from multiple directions, the area illuminated by the illumination light on the workpiece 200 can be widened. This reduces the number of paths, thus shortening the time required to inspect the workpiece 200.

[0064] Furthermore, if the field of view of the imaging unit 70 is narrow, even slight changes in the shape of the workpiece 200 can cause it to fall outside the field of view of the imaging unit 70, leading to a large number of paths. In contrast, in this embodiment, the imaging-side working distance CWD can be increased, thereby widening the field of view of the imaging unit 70. As a result, the number of paths can be reduced, thus shortening the time required to inspect the workpiece 200.

[0065] Furthermore, by separating the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70, it becomes possible to set multiple illumination-side working distances (LWD) and imaging-side working distances (CWD) according to the equipment, which is not possible with conventional brackets.

[0066] Furthermore, by using a small illumination-side working distance (LWD) and irradiating the workpiece 200 at an obtuse angle, it is possible to obtain an image of the workpiece 200 in which the edges of defects on the workpiece 200 are emphasized. This allows for advantageous image processing to detect defects in the workpiece 200 based on the image of the workpiece 200.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the inspection system 100 includes a position changing unit that can change at least one of the illumination-side working distance LWD and the imaging-side working distance CWD by changing the position of at least one of the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70. This makes it possible to appropriately change at least one of the illumination-side working distance LWD and the imaging-side working distance CWD depending on the type of workpiece 200, the type of illumination unit 30, the type of imaging unit 70, and so on.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the position changing unit includes an illumination-side position changing unit that changes the illumination-side working distance LWD by changing the position of the illumination unit 30, and an imaging-side position changing unit that changes the imaging-side working distance CWD by changing the position of the imaging unit 70. This makes it possible to appropriately change both the illumination-side working distance LWD and the imaging-side working distance CWD depending on the type of workpiece 200, the type of illumination unit 30, the type of imaging unit 70, and so on.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot includes a robot 10 as an illumination-side position changing unit, which is equipped with an illumination unit 30 and moves the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, and a robot 50 as an imaging-side position changing unit, which is equipped with an imaging unit 70 and moves the imaging unit 70 relative to the workpiece 200. This makes it possible to easily and appropriately change both the illumination-side working distance LWD and the imaging-side working distance CWD using robots 10 and 50. In addition, by arranging the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70 in separate robots 10 and 50, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of robots 10 and 50 compared to when both the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70 are arranged in a single robot.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, robot 10 can change the angle of the illumination unit 30, and robot 50 can change the angle of the imaging unit 70. This allows robots 10 and 50 to appropriately change the angle of the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70 according to the shape of the workpiece 200. Additionally, robots 10 and 50 can appropriately change the angle of the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70 depending on whether specular reflection light (SRL) or diffuse reflection light (DRL) is to be imaged.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the imaging control unit 80 acquires a specular reflection region SIM by imaging the specular reflected light SRL reflected by the workpiece 200 using the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70, and a diffuse reflection region DIM by imaging the diffuse reflected light DRL reflected by the workpiece 200 using the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70. This makes it possible to accurately detect both defects in the workpiece 200 that are suitable for detection from the specular reflection region SIM and defects in the workpiece 200 that are suitable for detection from the diffuse reflection region DIM.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the imaging control unit 80 controls the display unit 90 to display a specular reflection composite image CSIM, which is obtained by combining multiple specular reflection regions SIMs acquired at multiple imaging positions, and a diffuse reflection composite image DSIM, which is obtained by combining multiple diffuse reflection regions DIMs acquired at multiple imaging positions. As a result, by checking the specular reflection composite image CSIM, multiple specular reflection regions SIMs can be checked simultaneously, making it easier for the operator to check for defects in the workpiece 200. Also, by checking the diffuse reflection composite image DSIM, multiple diffuse reflection regions DIMs can be checked simultaneously, making it easier for the operator to check for defects in the workpiece 200.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the signal output unit 23 generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 for each relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30, and the imaging control unit 80 controls the imaging of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70 based on the pulse signal generated by the signal output unit 23. As a result, the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 can be acquired for each relative movement, and the imaging by the imaging unit 70 can be controlled, so that the imaging of the workpiece 200 can be performed by the imaging unit 70 without having to set all working positions in advance. Consequently, when the robot 10 performs work while moving the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, the complexity of the setting work can be suppressed.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot includes a robot 10 on which an illumination unit 30 is positioned and which moves the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, and a robot 50 on which an imaging unit 70 is positioned and which moves the imaging unit 70 relative to the workpiece 200. The imaging control unit 80 generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 for each relative movement amount of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, and controls the imaging timing of the workpiece 200 by the imaging unit 70 based on the generated pulse signal. As a result, even when imaging work on the workpiece 200 is performed using robots 10 and 50, the workpiece 200 can be appropriately imaged by the imaging unit 70 in synchronization with the relative movement of the illumination unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the imaging unit 70 includes an area camera. This allows the use of an area camera that easily increases the depth of field and field of view size, so even when inspecting a workpiece 200 with a complex shape, the number of paths that robots 10 and 50 take to inspect the workpiece 200 can be easily reduced. As a result, even when inspecting a workpiece 200 with a complex shape, the time required to inspect the workpiece 200 can be easily reduced. In addition, even when using an area camera that tends to have a long exposure time, the working distance LWD on the illumination side can be reduced, so the amount of light reflected from the workpiece 200 can be increased. As a result, the amount of light entering the imaging unit 70 can be increased, so the exposure time can be reduced.

[0076] (modified version) It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments above, and includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0077] The above embodiment shows an example of inspecting defects in the coating of a workpiece, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The disclosure may also describe inspections for defects in the structure of workpieces related to civil engineering and construction, defects in the sealing of workpieces, defects in the stitching of workpieces, or defects in the welding of workpieces.

[0078] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example of inspecting a reflective workpiece that reflects illumination light, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, a transparent workpiece that transmits illumination light may also be inspected. That is, the illumination light that is irradiated from the illumination unit and has passed through the transparent workpiece may be imaged by the imaging unit. As in the above embodiment, when an imaging robot and an illumination robot are provided, the relative position of the illumination unit with respect to the imaging unit can be changed relatively freely, so it is possible to support not only the reflection method but also the transmission method.

[0079] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example where one illumination robot is assigned to one imaging robot, this disclosure is not limited to this. In this disclosure, multiple illumination robots may be assigned to one imaging robot. Also, the inspection system as a whole may consist of multiple imaging robots and multiple illumination robots.

[0080] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which an imaging robot is provided, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the imaging unit may be fixed so as not to move. Alternatively, the imaging unit may be moved by a one-axis or two-axis transport device.

[0081] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the robot control unit, signal output unit, lighting control unit, and imaging control unit are arranged separately, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the robot control unit, signal output unit, lighting control unit, and imaging control unit may be included in a common control unit. In this case, the common control unit may have separate processing units such as CPUs as the robot control unit, signal output unit, lighting control unit, and imaging control unit, or it may have a common processing unit such as a CPU.

[0082] Furthermore, while the above embodiments illustrate an example of a robot configuration including six vertical joints, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the robot may include five or fewer joints, or seven or more joints. The robot may also include a horizontal articulated robotic arm.

[0083] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example of a configuration in which the relative movement of the illumination unit with respect to the workpiece is obtained based on the movement of the robot's control point, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the relative movement of the illumination unit with respect to the workpiece may be obtained based on the movement of any position other than the robot's control point.

[0084] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example of a configuration in which the robot control unit and the signal output unit are located in a common control device, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the robot control unit and the signal output unit may be located in separate control devices. In addition, the signal output unit may be located in a common control device with the robot control unit by adding hardware, or by adding software.

[0085] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example of a configuration in which a signal based on the relative movement of the lighting unit relative to the workpiece is output, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the relative position of the lighting unit relative to the workpiece may be output in real time based on the movement of the lighting unit provided at the tip of the robot. In this case, the position coordinates of the tip of the robot may be output. In this case, the robot may be moved at a low speed in advance to obtain the position coordinates of the tip of the robot, and then, when the robot is moved along the same path, a signal based on the relative movement of the lighting unit relative to the workpiece may be output in conjunction with the position coordinates of the tip of the robot.

[0086] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the position changing unit includes an illumination-side position changing unit and an imaging-side position changing unit, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, the position changing unit may include only one of the illumination-side position changing unit and the imaging-side position changing unit.

[0087] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example of acquiring both a specular reflection image and a diffuse reflection image, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, only one of either a specular reflection image or a diffuse reflection image may be acquired.

[0088] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example of displaying both a specular reflection composite image and a diffuse reflection composite image on the display unit, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, only one of the specular reflection composite image or the diffuse reflection composite image may be displayed on the display unit. Also, it is not necessary to display both the specular reflection composite image and the diffuse reflection composite image on the display unit.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the illumination unit is generated for each relative movement amount of the illumination unit relative to the workpiece, and the imaging unit controls the imaging of the workpiece based on the generated pulse signal, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the imaging unit is generated for each relative movement amount of the imaging unit relative to the workpiece, and the imaging unit controls the imaging of the workpiece based on the generated pulse signal.

[0090] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which the imaging unit includes an area camera, this disclosure is not limited to this. In this disclosure, the imaging unit may include line cameras or other types of cameras in addition to area cameras.

[0091] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example in which an imaging robot and an illumination robot are provided, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, as shown in the modified example in Figure 9, a robot tool 120 may be placed on the robot 110. The robot tool 120 is equipped with an illumination unit 30, an imaging unit 70, an illumination-side position changing unit 130 that changes the illumination-side working distance LWD by changing the position of the illumination unit 30, and an imaging-side position changing unit 140 that changes the imaging-side working distance CWD by changing the position of the imaging unit 70. As a result, both the illumination-side working distance LWD and the imaging-side working distance CWD can be easily and appropriately changed using the robot tool 120. In addition, since both the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70 can be placed on a single robot 110, the number of robots in the inspection system can be reduced compared to the case in which the illumination unit 30 and the imaging unit 70 are placed on separate robots.

[0092] Furthermore, in the modified example shown in Figure 9, the robot tool 120 is equipped with an illumination unit 30, an imaging unit 70, an illumination-side position change unit 130, and an imaging-side position change unit 140, as well as an illumination-side angle change unit 150 for changing the angle of the illumination unit 30 and an imaging-side angle change unit 160 for changing the angle of the imaging unit 70. This allows the robot tool 120 to appropriately change the angle of the illumination unit 30 and the angle of the imaging unit 70 according to the shape of the workpiece 200. In addition, the robot tool 120 allows the angle of the illumination unit 30 and the angle of the imaging unit 70 to appropriately change depending on whether specular reflection light (SRL) or diffuse reflection light (DRL) is to be imaged.

[0093] The lighting unit 30 is attached to the lighting-side position change unit 130. The lighting-side position change unit 130 is configured to slide along the optical axis of the lighting unit 30. When the lighting-side position change unit 130 slides, the lighting unit 30 slides, and the lighting-side working distance LWD is changed. The lighting-side working distance LWD is determined when the position of the lighting-side position change unit 130 is fixed. The position of the lighting-side position change unit 130 is adjusted by an operator. The operator adjusts the position of the lighting-side position change unit 130 to which the lighting unit 30 is attached so that the desired lighting-side working distance LWD is achieved. The lighting-side position change unit 130 is attached to the lighting-side angle change unit 150.

[0094] The imaging unit 70 is attached to the imaging-side position change unit 140. The imaging-side position change unit 140 is configured to slide along the optical axis of the imaging unit 70. When the imaging-side position change unit 140 slides, the imaging unit 70 slides, and the imaging-side working distance CWD is changed. The imaging-side working distance CWD is determined when the position of the imaging-side position change unit 140 is fixed. The position of the imaging-side position change unit 140 is adjusted by an operator. The operator adjusts the position of the imaging-side position change unit 140 to which the imaging unit 70 is attached so that the desired imaging-side working distance CWD is achieved. The imaging-side position change unit 140 is attached to the imaging-side angle change unit 160.

[0095] The illumination-side angle adjustment unit 150 is attached to the tool body 121. The illumination-side angle adjustment unit 150 is configured to rotate around a predetermined pivot axis. When the illumination-side angle adjustment unit 150 is rotated, the illumination unit 30 is rotated and the angle of the illumination unit 30 is changed. When the angle of the illumination-side angle adjustment unit 150 is fixed, the angle of the illumination unit 30 is determined. The angle of the illumination-side angle adjustment unit 150 is adjusted by the operator. The operator adjusts the angle of the illumination-side angle adjustment unit 150 to which the illumination unit 30 is attached so that the desired angle of the illumination unit 30 is achieved.

[0096] The imaging-side angle adjustment unit 160 is attached to the tool body 121. The imaging-side angle adjustment unit 160 is configured to rotate around a predetermined pivot axis. When the imaging-side angle adjustment unit 160 is rotated, the imaging unit 70 is rotated and the angle of the imaging unit 70 is changed. The angle of the imaging unit 70 is determined when the angle of the imaging-side angle adjustment unit 160 is fixed. The angle of the imaging-side angle adjustment unit 160 is adjusted by the operator. The operator adjusts the angle of the imaging-side angle adjustment unit 160 to which the imaging unit 70 is attached so that the desired angle of the imaging unit 70 is achieved.

[0097] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example in which a pulse signal based on the relative movement of the illumination unit is generated for each relative movement of the illumination unit relative to the workpiece, and imaging of the workpiece by the imaging unit is controlled based on the generated pulse signal, the disclosure is not limited to this. In the disclosure, a control unit including a robot control unit, an illumination control unit, or an imaging control unit may communicate via a real-time field network capable of guaranteeing real-time communication in accordance with the Ethernet standard, and control imaging of the workpiece by the imaging unit or illumination of the workpiece by the illumination unit based on information regarding the relative movement of the imaging unit or illumination unit relative to the workpiece. That is, the control unit may communicate via a real-time field network and control imaging of the workpiece by the imaging unit or illumination of the workpiece by the illumination unit for each relative movement of the imaging unit or illumination unit relative to the workpiece. The real-time field network is, for example, EtherCAT.

[0098] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the enumerated functions, or hardware programmed to perform the enumerated functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein, or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the enumerated functions. If the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, then the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0099] [Aspect] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following embodiments.

[0100] (Aspect 1) A lighting unit that illuminates the workpiece with illumination light, An imaging unit for imaging the aforementioned workpiece, The system includes a robot that moves at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit relative to the workpiece, An inspection system in which the imaging-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the imaging unit, is greater than the illumination-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the illumination unit.

[0101] (Aspect 2) The inspection system according to embodiment 1, further comprising a position changing unit capable of changing at least one of the working distances on the illumination side and the imaging side by changing the position of at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit.

[0102] (Aspect 3) The aforementioned position changing unit is A lighting-side position changing unit that changes the working distance on the lighting side by changing the position of the lighting unit, An imaging-side position changing unit that changes the imaging-side working distance by changing the position of the imaging unit, The inspection system according to embodiment 2, including the following:

[0103] (Aspect 4) The aforementioned robot, The lighting unit is positioned and a lighting-side robot, which serves as the lighting-side position changing unit, moves the lighting unit relative to the workpiece, The imaging robot, which serves as the imaging-side position changing unit, is positioned on which the imaging unit is located and moves the imaging unit relative to the workpiece. The inspection system according to embodiment 3, including the following:

[0104] (Appendix 5) The aforementioned lighting robot is capable of changing the angle of the lighting unit. The inspection system according to embodiment 4, wherein the imaging robot is capable of changing the angle of the imaging unit.

[0105] (Aspect 6) An inspection system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein a specular reflection image is obtained by capturing specularly reflected light reflected by the workpiece using the illumination unit and the imaging unit, and a diffuse reflection image is obtained by capturing diffusely reflected light reflected by the workpiece using the illumination unit and the imaging unit.

[0106] (Aspect 7) The inspection system according to embodiment 6, comprising a control unit that controls the display unit to display a specular reflection composite image obtained by combining multiple specular reflection images acquired at multiple imaging positions, and a diffuse reflection composite image obtained by combining multiple diffuse reflection images acquired at multiple imaging positions.

[0107] (Pattern 8) The robot is equipped with a robotic tool that is placed on the robot, The inspection system according to embodiment 3, wherein the illumination unit, the imaging unit, the illumination-side position change unit, and the imaging-side position change unit are arranged on the robot tool.

[0108] (Aspect 9) A lighting-side angle changing unit for changing the angle of the aforementioned lighting unit, It includes an imaging-side angle changing unit that changes the angle of the imaging unit, The inspection system according to embodiment 8, wherein, in addition to the illumination unit, imaging unit, illumination-side position change unit, and imaging-side position change unit, the robot tool is also equipped with an illumination-side angle change unit and an imaging-side angle change unit.

[0109] (Aspect 10) An inspection system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, comprising a control unit that generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the imaging unit or the illumination unit for each relative movement amount of the workpiece, and controls the imaging unit to image the workpiece based on the generated pulse signal.

[0110] (Aspect 11) The aforementioned robot, A lighting robot is provided, which is positioned on which the lighting unit is moved relative to the workpiece. An imaging robot is provided on which the imaging unit is positioned and which moves the imaging unit relative to the workpiece. Includes, The inspection system according to embodiment 10, wherein the control unit generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the illumination unit with respect to the workpiece for each relative movement amount of the illumination unit, and controls the timing of imaging of the workpiece by the imaging unit based on the generated pulse signal.

[0111] (Aspect 12) The inspection system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the imaging unit includes an area camera. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0112] 10. Robot (position change unit, lighting-side position change unit, lighting-side robot) 23 Signal output section (control section) 30 Lighting Section 50 Robot (position change unit, imaging side position change unit, imaging side robot) 70 Imaging Unit 80 Imaging Control Unit (Control Unit) 90 Display section 100 Inspection Systems 110 Robots 120 Robot Tools 130 Lighting side position change section (position change section) 140 Imaging side position change unit (position change unit) 150 Lighting side angle adjustment section 160 Imaging side angle change section 200 work CWD (Center of Wide Dimension) - Working Distance on the Imaging Side LWD (Lighting-side working distance) DRL (Diffuse Reflected Light) SRL specular reflection light DIM diffuse reflection region (diffuse reflection image) SIM specular reflection area (specular reflection image) CDIM diffuse reflectance composite image CSIM specular reflection composite image

Claims

1. A lighting unit that illuminates the workpiece with illumination light, An imaging unit for imaging the aforementioned workpiece, The system includes a robot that moves at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit relative to the workpiece, An inspection system in which the imaging-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the imaging unit, is greater than the illumination-side working distance, which is the distance between the workpiece and the illumination unit.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a position changing unit capable of changing at least one of the working distances on the illumination side and the imaging side by changing the position of at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit.

3. The position changing unit is, A lighting-side position changing unit that changes the working distance on the lighting side by changing the position of the lighting unit, An imaging-side position changing unit that changes the imaging-side working distance by changing the position of the imaging unit, The inspection system according to claim 2, including the following:

4. The aforementioned robot, The lighting unit is positioned and a lighting-side robot, which serves as the lighting-side position changing unit, moves the lighting unit relative to the workpiece, The imaging robot, which serves as the imaging-side position changing unit, is positioned on which the imaging unit is located and moves the imaging unit relative to the workpiece. The inspection system according to claim 3, including the following:

5. The aforementioned lighting robot is capable of changing the angle of the lighting unit. The inspection system according to claim 4, wherein the imaging robot is capable of changing the angle of the imaging unit.

6. The inspection system according to claim 1, comprising: acquiring a specular reflection image obtained by capturing specularly reflected light reflected by the workpiece using the illumination unit and the imaging unit; and acquiring a diffuse reflection image obtained by capturing diffusely reflected light reflected by the workpiece using the illumination unit and the imaging unit.

7. The inspection system according to claim 6, further comprising a control unit that controls the display unit to display a specular reflection composite image obtained by combining multiple specular reflection images acquired at multiple imaging positions, and a diffuse reflection composite image obtained by combining multiple diffuse reflection images acquired at multiple imaging positions.

8. The robot is equipped with a robotic tool that is placed on the robot, The inspection system according to claim 3, wherein the illumination unit, the imaging unit, the illumination-side position change unit, and the imaging-side position change unit are arranged on the robot tool.

9. A lighting-side angle changing unit for changing the angle of the aforementioned lighting unit, It includes an imaging-side angle changing unit that changes the angle of the imaging unit, The inspection system according to claim 8, wherein, in addition to the illumination unit, the imaging unit, the illumination-side position change unit, and the imaging-side position change unit, the robot tool is also provided with the illumination-side angle change unit and the imaging-side angle change unit.

10. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the imaging unit or the illumination unit for each relative movement amount of the workpiece, and controls the imaging unit to image the workpiece based on the generated pulse signal.

11. The aforementioned robot, A lighting robot is provided, which is positioned on which the lighting unit is moved relative to the workpiece. An imaging robot is provided, on which the imaging unit is positioned and which moves the imaging unit relative to the workpiece. Includes, The inspection system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit generates a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the illumination unit with respect to the workpiece for each relative movement amount of the illumination unit, and controls the timing of imaging of the workpiece by the imaging unit based on the generated pulse signal.

12. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit includes an area camera.

Images