Braintech’s new "Vision-Guided Robotics" SC3D: A promise of revolution for the robotics industry

Braintech (North Vancouver, Canada) has created the first ever single Camera 3D technology for Vision Guided Robotic applications. This innovation gives industrial robots the "eyes" to handle and assemble parts with a high degree of consistent quality and productivity. Braintech's scientific capabilities, engineering expertise and commitment to support have been embedded in the company's VGR development system called "eVF.”

Braintech was originally approached by ABB Inc. to develop a robust 3D robot guidance system for automotive part handling applications. The requirement was for the robot to be able to “see and react” to changing conditions specifically as it related to part positioning. The second condition was to create this 3D scenario using only a single CCD camera.

A new integrated solution was created called SC3D and it is already considered a revolutionary breakthrough in VGR technology. Unlike the traditional stereoscopic or laser-triangulation 2D systems, (which often use multiple cameras), SC3D uses only one conventional CDD camera to gather orientation for all six degrees of movement: x, y, z, pitch, roll and yaw. The information from the camera is sent to a standard PC loaded with Braintech software. This software, acting much like a human brain, then delivers “location coordinates” to the robot controller. The controller uses this information to guide the robot's end-effector and intercept each part correctly for grasping or performing other robotic processes. The calibration of this new system is also now fully automated and the entire system boasts tolerances of 0.1mm with a processing time of less than one second.

VGR technology offers tremendous new advantages, the most important being greater flexibility for loosely fixtured parts. According to Vince Taylor, Braintech’s VP of communications, “this innovative technology now changes the way we design, build and operate manufacturing processes. Robots equipped with sensory vision can now perform traditional, often dangerous jobs previously only suitable for human labor. As well, there is the potential for enormous cost savings by eliminating or reducing custom designed fixturing devices.”

Without Vision, a traditional robot follows a pre-determined path, which has to be "trained" or "taught”. During routine operation, the robot plays back the memorized path at the specified speeds and accuracies. This approach works so long as the part (e.g. engine manifold) remains in the same location and orientation in space with respect to the robotic arm. If this relation changes, the robot will simply miss the target or worse, crash into the part. The result is damage to the part, the robot and very costly “downtime” on the factory line.

With the help of the new Braintech 3D Camera mounted on the robot arm, the industrial robot can “see” the changes in the location and orientation of parts in 3D Cartesian space and react accordingly to adjust its path. The robots do not have to be trained to learn a specific path and there are less risks of a crash. Further advantages of the new robots are the reduced cost of retooling, and readjusting the production lines due to design changes.

In addition to development of the entire solution, Braintech has also incorporated a very novel, Internet based technical support format. As phone support is error prone and field support is slow to deploy and costly for both suppliers and end users, Braintech developed the Braintech eSupport System (BeSS) infrastructure to overcome these hurdles. BeSS is a scalable, distributed, decentralized support network geared towards remote technical support delivery to factory floor systems. Field trials have proven the system to be capable of providing remote electronic support to eVF-based vision guided robotic systems at multiple major networks.

This new Vision Guided Robotic technology is currently being applied within the automotive sector for material handling, guidance of industrial robots to automotive body panels and chassis components, robotic welding, sealant and adhesive deposition, glass decking, automated assembly and inspection and the identification of parts.

Time will tell whether Braintech’s innovative technology can replace traditional robot operations but judging by Braintech’s early customers (Ford, GM, and TI Automotive) the system seems to have considerable merit.

Beyond Automotive, imminent growth markets would appear to be aerospace, military applications and Pharmaceutical manufacturing. The next step for Braintech must now be to capitalize on its technology development and successfully implement its full-scale commercialization by increasing its user companies and industries.

Partnership agreements with European distributors and integrators will aim to broaden the technology’s European user-base whilst corporate expansion and continuous research & development will enable Braintech to cater for surging demand and continue its task to further develop its findings. It remains to be seen whether Braintech’s research & development strengths will now be coupled with the necessary manufacturing know-how to bring its groundbreaking discovery to market - globally. Whatever the answer, Braintech has given the robotics industry a new set of 3D eyes which will change some manufacturing processes forever.

(05.02.2003)

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