Automatic 3D Sensor Alignment for Workcell Safety Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D sensor systems in industrial settings face challenges in configuring and registering sensors to ensure human safety around machinery, requiring advanced skill sets and increased processing complexity, which can lead to safety hazards and inefficiencies in collaborative human-machine tasks.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a method for registering 3D sensors with respect to each other and machinery using 3D images, registration objects, and computer-vision techniques, allowing for automatic registration and continuous monitoring to ensure accurate data processing and safe operation, utilizing global optimization algorithms and registration libraries to maintain optimal sensor placement and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual configuration and registration of 3D sensors is performed, then measurement precision and reliability of safety monitoring are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic sensor registration by having sensors capture images of registration objects, which are then processed through computer vision algorithms to compute transformation matrices and establish coordinate relationships. This self-service approach eliminates manual configuration while maintaining high registration accuracy through automated image processing and mathematical computation.
Solution Approach 2:
Registration objects serve as intermediaries between sensors and the workspace coordinate system. These objects with distinctive features act as mediators that enable sensors to automatically determine their position and orientation relative to the workspace, simplifying the configuration process while ensuring precise measurement and registration.
2Productivity
If automatic registration using computer vision techniques is implemented, then ease of operation and productivity are improved, but processing time and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing multiple images of registration objects during setup phases before actual safety monitoring begins. This preliminary image capture and processing allows the system to pre-compute transformation matrices and establish coordinate relationships in advance, reducing processing time during operational phases while maintaining high productivity.
3Reliability
If multiple 3D sensors are deployed for comprehensive coverage, then reliability of safety monitoring is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges data from multiple 3D sensors by establishing a common workspace coordinate system through registration. Transformation matrices are computed to align all sensor data into a unified coordinate framework, allowing comprehensive safety monitoring coverage while managing system complexity through centralized coordinate transformation and integrated data processing.
Data Source
AI summary
Various approaches to ensuring safe operation of industrial machinery in a workcell include disposing multiple image sensors proximate to the workcell and acquiring, with at least some of the image sensors, the first set of images of the workcell; registering the sensors to each other based at least in part on the first set of images and, based at least in part on the registration, converting the first set of images to a common reference frame of the sensors; determining a transformation matrix for transforming the common reference frame of the sensors to a global frame of the workcell; registering the sensors to the industrial machinery; acquiring the second set of images during operation of the industrial machinery; and monitoring the industrial machinery during operation thereof based at least in part on the acquired second plurality of images, transformation, and registration of the sensors to the industrial machinery.