Undercarriage Inspection via Adaptive Multi-Region Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for imaging the undercarriage of vehicles face challenges in maintaining image quality due to varying illumination across different regions, especially when dealing with contoured surfaces and varying depth extensions, leading to underexposed or overexposed areas and reduced contrast.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that record images of surface regions using different light exposures and illuminations, optimize each region's image, and assemble them into a total image, using adaptive illumination control and multiple illumination elements to ensure optimal lighting across the entire surface, regardless of ambient conditions or vehicle movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single illumination source is used for imaging the undercarriage, then the device complexity is reduced, but the illumination intensity varies significantly across different regions due to distance and aperture angle, causing non-uniform image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system is divided into multiple independent illumination sources (first illumination source and second illumination source) positioned at different locations. Each illumination source is responsible for illuminating specific regions of the undercarriage, ensuring that all regions receive adequate and uniform illumination without requiring a single complex illumination system
Solution Approach 2:
Different illumination sources are directed at different regions of the undercarriage based on their specific illumination requirements. The system adjusts illumination locally to account for variations in distance, aperture angle, and surface characteristics, ensuring optimal image quality in each region while maintaining overall system simplicity
2Productivity
If the vehicle moves at higher velocity, then the inspection productivity increases, but the exposure time decreases leading to underexposed images and reduced image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination sources emit light in synchronized pulses that correspond to the vehicle's movement through the inspection zone. By timing the illumination pulses to match the exposure requirements at different velocities, the system maintains image quality regardless of whether the vehicle moves slowly or quickly through the inspection area
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts illumination parameters (intensity, duration, timing) based on the vehicle's velocity. When the vehicle moves faster, the illumination pulse duration is reduced and intensity may be increased to compensate for shorter exposure time, thereby maintaining image quality across varying speeds and maximizing inspection throughput
3Measurement precision
If multiple images are recorded and combined to improve image quality, then the measurement precision increases, but the device complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The undercarriage is divided into multiple regions, each imaged by dedicated illumination sources and camera zones. This segmentation allows for targeted illumination and imaging of specific areas, improving overall image quality while keeping the system architecture manageable through modular regional coverage
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple images captured from different regions and illumination angles are combined into a single composite image of the entire undercarriage. This merging process integrates information from multiple sources to produce a complete, high-quality image while using coordinated illumination and synchronized capture to minimize processing complexity
4Area of stationary object
If the aperture angle of the camera is increased to capture more of the undercarriage, then the area coverage increases, but the distance to object parts at the image border increases, causing brightness loss and vignetting
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple illumination sources are positioned asymmetrically at different locations and angles relative to the camera. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that light reaches all regions of the undercarriage, including areas at the image border that would otherwise suffer from increased distance and vignetting effects, while maintaining a single camera position for wide area coverage
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 results in a high-quality, optimized total image with improved contrast and reduced shadowed regions, capable of imaging both reflective and non-reflective surfaces, and is adaptable to varying vehicle velocities and lighting conditions, allowing for effective inspection of vehicle undercarriages in real-time.
Implementation Method 1
The illumination device (L) has a plurality of illumination elements, in particular light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
Implementation Method 2
The imaging of all subobjects is significantly determined by the illumination using optimum contrast
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing an image of a contoured surface includes: a) recording images of one or a plurality of regions of the surface using different light exposure and/or illumination; b) generating an optimized image for each of the regions from the plurality of recorded images; and c) assembling the optimized images generated for the individual regions of the surface to form an optimized total image of the surface.