Picking eyes for robots: Design & Engineering
The Eyes system from OnRobot A/S eliminates the need for expensive fixture carts used to position parts for robotic picking.
Robot arms used for machine tending must often pick items of different sizes, shapes and orientations, so artificial eyes can be a big help.
That’s the idea behind vision systems like the recently introduced Eyes system from OnRobot A/S, which is headquartered in Odense, Denmark. Eyes eliminates the need for expensive fixture carts used to position parts for picking.
“You could use it with parts on a conveyer or vibration table,” said Kristian Hulgard, general manager of OnRobot Americas in Irving, Texas. “It doesn’t matter how they are oriented — standing up, lying down or whatever. A vision system will be able to identify them.”
In addition, he said vision systems like Eyes save valuable operator time by eliminating manual labor from the machine loading process.
One feature that is meant to set Eyes apart from competitive offerings is the easy-to-use software and interface when the system is set up with a robot. Hulgard said setting up a vision system to work with a robot normally requires training and expertise.
The Eyes vision system can be mounted on a robot arm or nearby to reduce cycle time. Image courtesy of OnRobot
“But our biggest value proposition is that anyone can read our quick guide and get started,” he said.
Similar to instructions that come with consumer electronics like an iPad, the quick guide helps users connect Eyes to a robot. Then they can log in to the vision system with a laptop and begin the calibration process.
Unlike other vision systems designed to recognize metal parts defined by outer shape, Eyes needs only a single image for part recognition and calibration, according to OnRobot.
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