Pose Automation GmbH, based in Germany, is a system integrator who develops high-tech systems for machine vision and robotics. This includes a robotic cell utilising an Ensenso 3D camera from IDS Imaging Development Systems for a bin picking application in the veterinary medicine sector. Veterinary medicine catheters are gripped and sorted into a packaging machine. Following production, the catheters are transported on a conveyor belt in large quantities in a random manner to the gripping area of the robot arm. The Ensenso 3D camera detects the catheters lying in random orientations and delivers a three-dimensional point cloud.
The system’s image processing system uses this information to calculate the position and alignment of the objects to be gripped. The robot controls them in a targeted manner, grips 2 pieces per cycle and inserts them individually into format tubes. The recognition and gripping of different catheter designs are possible as well as further assembly steps, such as the attachment of hose pieces. In this way, different catheters from different production lines can be packed on the same packaging machine. The delivery of goods can be adapted exactly to the customer’s needs and storage of the finished products can be minimised, increasing productivity.
The Ensenso N35 3D camera with GigE interface and Power-over-Ethernet meets IP65/67 requirements and is therefore protected against dirt, dust, splash water and cleaning agents in the production environment. The camera also features FlexView technology which allows a moveable random light pattern to be projected onto the test object, thus generating a series of images with different surface texture structures. In-built sequence correlation algorithms then calculate the 3D object data from up to 16 pairs of these images to increase accuracy. This approach allows even transparent object parts to be reliably detected. Detailed 3D image data is delivered at high speed allowing the position of the catheters on the conveyor belt and the gripping path of the robot to be determined quickly and precisely. Pose Automation has used the HALCON image processing package from MVTec in its software for this system. This is designed for harsh environmental conditions and contains interfaces to various other common systems with a view to the requirements of Industry 4.0.
Internet: www.ids-imaging.com
