A Vision–Controlled Robot for Part Transfer

A vision-based robot system capable of picking up parts randomly placed on a moving conveyor belt is described. The vision subsystem, operating in a visually noisy environment typical of manufacturing plants, determines the position and orientation of parts on the belt. The robot tracks the parts and transfers them to a predetermined location. This system can be easily retrained for a wide class of complex curved parts and demonstrates that future systems have a high potential for production plant use.