Optical Inspection for Complex Body Dimensional Checking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for checking the dimensions and shape of complex-shaped bodies, such as motor vehicle lighting systems, require extensive reconfiguration and are prone to deformation and damage, making them time-consuming and costly to adapt to new types of lighting bodies.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system with a contactless optical inspection assembly, including a chromatic confocal distance sensor and digital camera, is used to measure and compare the dimensions of complex-shaped bodies against reference data, allowing for precise measurements without physical contact and easy reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mechanical feelers with pneumatic actuators are used to measure dimensions, then measurement capability is achieved, but the lighting body is deformed and/or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical feeler system with an optical measurement system consisting of a camera and light sources. The optical system captures images of the lighting body and processes them to obtain dimensional information, eliminating the need for mechanical contact that causes deformation and damage.
2Measurement precision
If the number of feelers is increased to check more points, then measurement coverage is improved, but device complexity and adjustment time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical feeler arrangement with a camera-based optical system. The camera can capture the entire lighting body and extract dimensional information from images through processing, providing comprehensive measurement coverage without the complexity of coordinating multiple mechanical sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical measurement system serves multiple functions: it can measure various dimensions, capture shape information, and inspect different points of the lighting body through a single integrated system, eliminating the need for multiple specialized feelers for different measurement requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the feelers are repositioned for new lighting body types, then adaptability is improved, but reconfiguration time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanically reconfigurable feeler system with a software-based optical measurement system. Different lighting body types can be measured by loading corresponding digital models and adjusting camera parameters through software, eliminating the need for physical reconfiguration of measurement points.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical measurement system allows dynamic adjustment of measurement parameters and camera positioning through software control, enabling quick adaptation to different lighting body types without physical reconfiguration. The system can be repositioned and reconfigured virtually in seconds compared to mechanical adjustment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables precise and efficient checking of complex-shaped bodies, reducing the need for extensive reconfiguration and minimizing the risk of damage, while improving measurement accuracy and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
at least one contactless distance sensor, preferably of optical type, in particular a chromatic confocal distance sensor
Implementation Method 2
an optical inspection assembly (14) mounted on the wrist (12), comprising at least one contactless distance sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus (1) for checking the dimensions and/or shape of a complex-shaped body (3), comprising a checking support (5) on which the body to be checked is positioned, a robotic system (8) with an optical assembly (17) and a memory unit (19) for storing reference data relating to a reference shape of the body. A processing and control unit (18) controls movements of the optical assembly so as to obtain dimensional values relating to the body at predetermined measuring points, these dimensional values then being compared with the reference data stored in the memory unit. The apparatus further comprises reference elements (35) defined in the checking support in predetermined positions and a distance sensor (17) for acquiring actual positions of said reference elements. Local compensation parameters for correcting positioning errors of the robotic system are calculated for each of the reference elements on the basis of the predetermined positions and the actual positions acquired. A method for checking the dimensions and/or shape of a complex-shaped body by using the above described apparatus includes a calibration phase of the robotic system to calculate the local compensation parameters, a phase for collecting the reference data related to the predetermined measuring points and a dimensional checking phase of the body. The reference data collecting phase and the dimensional checking phase take into consideration the local compensation parameters.