Visual Sensor Lens Contamination Prediction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for monitoring lens contamination in visual sensors of industrial machines cannot predict when maintenance is needed, leading to unpredictable downtime and decreased production line efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A visual sensor lens or lens cover abnormality detection system that calculates a contamination index based on image data and predicts a future cleaning timing, allowing for timely maintenance and minimizing production line disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If maintenance is performed whenever an alarm is output, then lens contamination is detected and addressed, but the production line operation rate decreases due to unpredictable downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by calculating a contamination index based on image data and predicting future cleaning timing before the lens actually becomes contaminated enough to cause malfunction. This allows maintenance to be scheduled in advance rather than reactively, preventing production disruptions while ensuring lens cleanliness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring lens contamination through image data, calculating contamination indices, and comparing them against thresholds. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to track contamination progression and predict when cleaning will be necessary, transforming reactive maintenance into proactive scheduled maintenance.
2Productivity
If cleaning timing is predicted in advance, then production line efficiency is maintained, but the system complexity increases due to additional calculation and prediction functions
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by using the visual sensor's existing imaging capabilities for dual purposes: both for its primary inspection function and for lens contamination detection. The contamination detection unit leverages the same image acquisition hardware, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensors and reducing overall system complexity despite adding predictive maintenance capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by using its own visual sensor to monitor its lens contamination status. The visual sensor captures images that are processed to calculate contamination indices, enabling the system to self-diagnose and predict its own maintenance needs without requiring external monitoring equipment, thereby avoiding increased system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a visual sensor provided in an industrial machine or in the vicinity thereof to acquire a plurality of image data, a calculation unit that calculates a contamination degree of a lens or a lens cover of the visual sensor on the basis of the image data acquired by the visual sensor, and a prediction unit that calculates information on a predicted cleaning timing to be performed in the future, of the lens or the lens cover on the basis of the calculated contamination degree of the lens or the lens cover.