Pattern Projection for 3D Height Detection in Piled Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing randomly piled parts pick-up apparatuses fail to detect changes in the height direction of workpieces due to reliance on two-dimensional image analysis, which limits their ability to accurately determine position and orientation changes.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that projects a pattern with light and dark portions onto workpieces, captures images, and detects changed regions by comparing boundary positions between cycles, allowing for accurate detection of position and orientation changes in the height direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If two-dimensional image analysis is used to detect workpiece position and orientation, then the detection process is simple and fast, but changes in the height direction cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional image analysis to three-dimensional shape measurement by projecting patterns and capturing depth information. This allows the system to detect height direction changes while maintaining efficient operation cycles, resolving the contradiction between detection simplicity and height detection capability.
2Measurement precision
If three-dimensional shape measurement is performed for every pick-up operation, then accurate position and orientation detection is achieved, but the pick-up cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs three-dimensional shape measurement selectively rather than for every pick-up operation. By using change detection algorithms that compare current measurements with previous states, the system achieves accurate detection only when necessary, reducing overall cycle time while maintaining measurement precision when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where measurement results from previous cycles are used to determine whether full three-dimensional measurement is needed in the current cycle. This adaptive approach optimizes the balance between measurement accuracy and cycle time by leveraging historical data to guide current measurement decisions.
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
Enables efficient detection of changes in workpiece position and orientation in the height direction, reducing pick-up cycle time and preventing pick-up failures, even when workpieces are stacked at the same position and orientation.
Implementation Method 1
executing projection processing of causing a projection unit to project a pattern, that includes light and dark portions, onto a plurality of target objects
Implementation Method 2
executing image capturing processing of causing an image capturing unit to capture an image of the plurality of target objects while the pattern is being projected
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus having a changed region detection unit performs a process that includes repeating a cycle. The cycle includes causing a projection unit to project a pattern, that includes light and dark portions, onto target objects, causing an image capturing unit to capture an image of the target objects while the pattern is being projected by the projection unit, and causing a holding unit to hold one of the target objects based on a captured image obtained by the image capturing processing. Based on a reference boundary position corresponding to a boundary between the light and dark portions in the pattern in the captured image obtained in a previous cycle and a target boundary position in the captured image obtained in a current cycle, the changed region detection unit detects a changed region with a change between the previous cycle and the current cycle.