Vision Guied Robotics

What is Vision Guided Robotics?

The basic concept of a vision-guided robotics (machine vision) system is straightforward: a camera takes a picture of an object and analyzes the image to send precise coordinates to a robotic arm so it can make a move to the desired position. Within this system, there are two main components: an industrial robotic arm and an industrial vision system.

According to the Robotic Industries Association, “Robots have become faster, more accurate and more capable of automating a wider range of tasks. Vision technology has become cheaper, faster and more intelligent over the years too.” When combined, it should come as no surprise, then, that these two automation technologies have proven beneficial to manufacturers in virtually every industry.

Benefits of Vision-Guided Robotics

The concept of vision-guided robotics opens up the possibility to perform much more precise and complicated work. Benefits of leveraging vision-guided robotics in an automated machine include:

• High speed. In a fraction of a second, these systems can take a picture, analyze the image, and send the coordinates to the robot.
• Improved accuracy. Machine vision technology allows the robotic arm to make moves based on what it sees, instead of to a predetermined position, for more accurate placement.
• Greater efficiency. While the robot is placing a part, the camera can simultaneously take a picture of the next part so that the system is continuously in motion.
• Reduced costs. Vision-guided robotics have the ability to handle parts without needing to invest in hard tooling or fixturing to locate the part.