3D-Prompt offers a step towards autonomous manufacturing
Profactor GmbH, an industrial research and technology development firm based in Austria, has developed 3D-Prompt, which it describes as a system that combines accurate sensor scanning with in-depth analysis of objects on a production line.
According to the firm, it is designed to tackle challenging issues in the production environment, enabling manufacturers to improve both the flexibility and the way in which their machinery and equipment is adapted.
3D-Prompt combines three-dimensional (3-D) sensors, object modelling and data analysis to create a 3-D model of a robot working area. This paradigm, known as 'task space scene analysis', provides a much richer understanding of complex, interior work environments than can be gleaned from conventional two-dimensional (2-D) camera images - allowing robotic actions to be planned and simulated within a virtual world model.
The images of the products, which are being transported on a conveyor, are taken using 3-D laser range scanners. Referring to a product database, which contains prepared computer-aided design (CAD) data, the system identifies product models. In addition, the position and orientation of the products can be determined.
If part or scene complexity is very high, robust 3-D object recognition and pose estimation makes it possible to realise small lot-size robotic applications, says Profactor. By pairing a flexible 3-D imaging system with automatic process planners (for example, bin picking) the approach has proven to be a promising alternative to conventional teach-in and OPL-based programming, and it has been shown to be feasible especially for applications involving high variant, low-volume parts.
Contact:
Profactor GmbH
Im Stadtgut A2
A-4407 Steyr-Gleink
Austria
Phone: +43-7252-885-306
Fax: +43-7252-885-101
Email: andreas.pichler@profactor.at
Web: http://www.profactor.at
According to the firm, it is designed to tackle challenging issues in the production environment, enabling manufacturers to improve both the flexibility and the way in which their machinery and equipment is adapted.
3D-Prompt combines three-dimensional (3-D) sensors, object modelling and data analysis to create a 3-D model of a robot working area. This paradigm, known as 'task space scene analysis', provides a much richer understanding of complex, interior work environments than can be gleaned from conventional two-dimensional (2-D) camera images - allowing robotic actions to be planned and simulated within a virtual world model.
The images of the products, which are being transported on a conveyor, are taken using 3-D laser range scanners. Referring to a product database, which contains prepared computer-aided design (CAD) data, the system identifies product models. In addition, the position and orientation of the products can be determined.
If part or scene complexity is very high, robust 3-D object recognition and pose estimation makes it possible to realise small lot-size robotic applications, says Profactor. By pairing a flexible 3-D imaging system with automatic process planners (for example, bin picking) the approach has proven to be a promising alternative to conventional teach-in and OPL-based programming, and it has been shown to be feasible especially for applications involving high variant, low-volume parts.
Contact:
Profactor GmbH
Im Stadtgut A2
A-4407 Steyr-Gleink
Austria
Phone: +43-7252-885-306
Fax: +43-7252-885-101
Email: andreas.pichler@profactor.at
Web: http://www.profactor.at
