Cognex Corporation

Willard P Foster

William M Silver

E John McGarry

Adam Wagman

Nigel John Foster

Aaron S Wallack

Sanjay J Nichani

Michael C Moed

Matthew Leon Hill

Robert A Wolff

Robert Tremblay

Mikhail Akopyan

Matt Hill

Guruprasad Shivaram

This invention provides a system for measuring displacement of an object surface having a displacement sensor that projects a line on the object surface and receives light from the projected line at an imager in a manner defines a plurality of displacement values in a height direction. A vision system processor operates on rows of imager pixels to determine a laser line center in columns of imager pixels in each of a plurality of regions of interest. Each region of interest defines a plurality of rows that correspond with expected locations of the projected line on the object surface. A GUI can be used to establish the regions. In further embodiments, the system generates grayscale images with the imager. These grayscale images can be compared to a generated height image to compensate for contrast-induced false height readings. Imager pixels can be compared to a reference voltage to locate the line.

System and method for efficient surface measurement using a laser displacement sensor

This invention provides a system and method for guiding the workpieces to optimal positions to train an assembly system that is generally free of the use of a CMM or similar metrology device. The system and method expresses the image features of the workpieces, when they are in their respective stations, in a common coordinate system. This ability allows a user to visualize the result of assembling the workpieces without actually assembling them, in a 'virtual assembly'. The virtual assembly assists guiding placement of workpieces in respective stations into a desired relative alignment. The system and method illustratively generates a composite image using the images from cameras used in guiding the workpieces that helps the user visualize how the part would appear following assembly. The user can reposition the images of workpieces in their respective stations until the composite image has a desired appearance.

Vision system for training an assembly system through virtual assembly of objects

Disclosed is a method for determining the absence or presence of one or more instances of a predetermined pattern in an image, and for determining the location of each found instance within a multidimensional space. A model represents the pattern to be found, the model including a plurality of probes. Each probe represents a relative position at which a test is performed in an image at a given pose, each such test contributing evidence that the pattern exists at the pose. The method further includes a comparison of the model with a run-time image at each of a plurality of poses. A match score is computed at each pose to provide a match score surface. Then, the match score is compared with an accept threshold, and used to provide the location any instances of the pattern in the image.

Method for fast, robust, multi-dimensional pattern recognition

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Brookline, MA, United States of America

Willard P Foster