Perceptron, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert Dewar

Richard Woroniec

Thomas J Waldecker

James K West

David R Wybo

Neil E Barlow

Lothar Rossol

Steven W Holland

Dale R Greer

Rene M Iadipaolo

Joseph T Olsztyn

Walton A Perkins, Iii

Jeremy Salinger

Noncontact sensors project fanned or structured light onto the tire, while the wheel is rotated, to illuminate at least two contour lines on the surface of the tire. the contour lines are read by video cameras, positioned offset from the optical plane of the structured light, to allow triangulation in determining the spatial position of the contour lines. Radially equivalent points are selected from each contour line by an algorithm which ignores the effects of any raised lettering on the tire sidewalls. Control of the video cameras and processing of the video data is performed by parallel processor-based computer system coordinated by sequencer circuit.

Vehicle wheel alignment apparatus and method

A quick release mounting arrangement for a portable gauging sensor utilizes three locating surfaces to establish a positive, repeatable mounting for the releasable sensor at any desired number of locations on a gauging fixture. A landing pad at each mounting location provides a depressed cavity in a first face for receipt of a first locating surface carried by the sensor housing, and the landing pad further provides a grooved surface in a second face for receipt of the second and third locating surfaces carried by the sensor body. At least one of the three locating surfaces is movable under spring tension to provide a quick connect/disconnect feature to the sensor mounting arrangement.

Quick connect/disconnect repeatable sensor mounting apparatus

One or more non-contacting gauging sensors are calibrated to a common external coordinate system by providing each sensor to be calibrated with a target which can be simultaneously viewed by the sensor and an external measuring system for determining coordinates of the target in terms of the external coordinate system and in terms of the sensor coordinate system. With the resulting spatial coordinates of the target expressed in both frames of reference, transform matrix coefficients can be calculated, for example with a programmable computer, to calibrate each sensor to the preselected common external coordinate system.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a non-contact gauging sensor with

Noncontact sensors project fanned or structured light onto the tire, while the wheel is rotated, to illuminate at least two contour lines on the surface of the tire. The contour lines are read by video cameras, positioned offset from the optical plane of the structured light, to allow triangulation in determining the spatial position of the contour lines. Radially equivalent points are selected from each contour line by an algorithm which ignores the effects of any raised lettering on the tire sidewalls. Control of the video cameras and processing of the video data is performed by parallel processor-based computer system coordinated by sequencer circuit.

A three-dimensional triangulation-type sensor-illumination system adapted for connection to a machine vision computer. The illumination source in the preferred system comprises a unique cross hair light pattern which provides sufficient image data to the computer to enable the computer to make three-dimensional measurements of a wide variety of features, including edges, corners, holes, studs, designated portions of a surface and intersections of surfaces. The illumination source and sensor are both mounted within a single housing in a specific position and orientation relative to one another, thereby permitting the system to be internally calibrated. In addition, the sensor-illuminator unit is preferably mounted in a test fixture so that the light source is substantially normal to the surface of the part to be examined and the sensor is thereby positioned at a perspective angle relative thereto.

Sensor-illumination system for use in three-dimensional measurement of

Apparatus for optically checking both the gap between two adjacent parts such as the hood-to-fender fit of a vehicle and the surface flushness of the parts employs a hand-held fixture which is adapted to engage edges of the part in order to orient the fixture in a preselected position relative to the gap. A laser and related optical system mounted on the fixture directs a line of collimated light onto the parts and across the gap. The optical system and a television camera on the fixture pick up light reflected from the parts surfaces and generate an image using the triangulation technique which contains measurement information relating to the size of the gap and the degree of surface flushness. A computerized controller converts the image to measurement data that is displayed on a CRT. The control system is used in a part fitting method to select and display the identity of any of a plurality of shims which on an assembly person may employ to create proper fit between the parts.

Optical checking apparatus and method of using same

A computer vision system for inspecting engine heads during assembly for missing valve spring assembly keys comprises a solid-state camera for taking pictures of the valve spring assemblies and providing picture data upon command to a computer. The computer responds to a position encoder which relates the position of the engine head to the camera. Once the data is stored in the computer, it is analyzed to determine the center of the digitized image of the valve spring assembly and an intensity profile at the expected location of the keys relative to the center of the assembly is utilized to determine whether a key is missing.

Method and apparatus for inspecting engine head valve retainer

The movement of an article such as a product carried by a conveyor is monitored by providing a patterned target, preferably striped with contrasting lines, to move with the object. A solid state line scan camera views the pattern of the target as it moves relative to the camera and the electronic output of the camera representing the light and dark areas of the target is analyzed by an electronic circuit to determined the movement of the target and therefore of the object being monitored. The resulting electronic signal representing the motion of the object is useful for coordinating the movement of a robot which is operating upon the object during its movement.

Visual motion tracking system

In order to determine the position and orientation of an object on a conveyor, two planes of light intersect at a single transverse line on the conveyor surface, the planes of light each being at an acute angle to the conveyor. A linear diode array aligned with the single line of light on the conveyor detects light from that line. An object on the conveyor moving through the line of light intercepts the light above the conveyor at positions spaced laterally from the line of light. The linear array senses only the line segments on the conveyor beyond the object boundaries. By electronic sampling of the illumination of the linear array, the object boundaries are determined and the object shape and orientation are thus detected.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Robert Dewar