I-Cube (Integrated, Intelligent Imaging) E-Mail info at I-Cube dot co dot za OR Call 082 562 8225

Welcome to I-Cube: South Africa's leading provider of License Plate Recognition; Facial Recognition & Image Analysis

I-Cube advantage

Machine Vision

Aggregate ID using Image Analysis by I-Cube

Fisher Automotive product measurement

Sugar Imaging

Stockpile Volume Calculation

Counting & Sizing

Smoke Monitoring

Software

Vision gauge

SDK: IQ STUDIO

Workstations

Viewing Station

Digital Camera Selector Chart

Lens

BROCHURES

media Cybernetics IPP

IQ studio

Applications:

Sugar Industry INTRODUCTION

Chicken Counting

Introduction

Chicken presentation

SUGAR IMAGING SOLUTIONS

Fisher Automotive measurements

Art ID / Verification

Car Wash

ILLOVO - Smoke Stack monitoring

SMOKE STACK MONITORING Cost

Product Measurement and Determination using Image Analysis by I-Cube

Directions

USER MANUALS

DEMOS

REQUEST IA CD

I-Cube Intro Brochure

I-Cube advantage

Machine Vision

Aggregate ID using Image Analysis by I-Cube

Fisher Automotive product measurement

Sugar Imaging

Stockpile Volume Calculation

Counting & Sizing

Smoke Monitoring

Software

Vision gauge

SDK: IQ STUDIO

Workstations

Viewing Station

Digital Camera Selector Chart

Lens

BROCHURES

media Cybernetics IPP

IQ studio

Applications:

Sugar Industry INTRODUCTION

Chicken Counting

Introduction

Chicken presentation

SUGAR IMAGING SOLUTIONS

Fisher Automotive measurements

Art ID / Verification

Car Wash

ILLOVO - Smoke Stack monitoring

SMOKE STACK MONITORING Cost

Product Measurement and Determination using Image Analysis by I-Cube

Directions

USER MANUALS

DEMOS

REQUEST IA CD

I-Cube Intro Brochure

=IMAGE VIEWING STATION

Description: The imaging viewing station is designed for machine vision applications where a trained operator can manually inspect the small object. If required an image can be captured on the provided PC. The system consists of a camera attached to a macro lens, a stand, PC and viewing monitor.

CAPTURE Screen via TWAIN:

TYPICAL CAPTURED IMAGES:

384 x 288 - USB frame grabber (goes up to 640 x 480)

Ellips Rio frame grabber (6 input card) with a 7-75mm lens @ 7cm - NO Zoom

Ellips Rio frame grabber with a 7-75mm lens @ 7cm - MEDIUM ZOOM

Ellips Rio frame grabber with a 7-75mm lens @ 7cm - FULL ZOOM

OPTIONS: Size & type of lens and stand depends on the magnification required; Camera - depends on resolution required (288, 512, 1K, 2K), Frame grabber - depending on the speed required, Software - What data should be captured with the image and if any measurement is required.

TYPICAL SYSTEM / QUOTE CONSISTING OF:

- PC (CPU (P4, 2.4 GHZ, 512 MB, 80 GB), Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, CD writer, 100 LAN, cables etc.

- MS Windows 98 / 2000 (depending on Frame Grabber)

- USB or PCI frame grabber (for analogue video capture)

- High resolution colour video camera with 12MM, 50MM, fixed lens OR 5-50MM, 7-75MM veri-focal lens (depending on object to view)

COST:   From R14 750.00   Shipping, training, install, delivery and VAT excluded

PLEASE CONTACT I-CUBE FOR CUSTOMISED OPTIONS

Internal image processing system solutions boost flexibility

Anyone producing in large quantities for the motor-vehicle industry has to ensure that their production processes run particularly smoothly and reliably. The major global manufacturers of soot particulate filters for the motor-vehicle industry now use In-Sight vision sensors for greater efficiency on the production lines.

The decision � at the Nienburg plant of the Engelhard Technologie GmbH company � to rationalise the handling processes by using robots went hand-in-hand with the desire to control this precisely and reliably by means of image processing. St�ubli, the robot suppliers, advised to look at the world�s leading specialist in image processing � Cognex. The very first online feasibility survey held in November at Cognex provided excellent comprehensive aspects for complete realisation. The remaining image processing steps were able to be solved independently by the Plant Maintenance department at the Nienburg plant. In December the entire system controlled by image processing underwent initial start-up by the robot system integrator. Thanks to the efficient cooperation and comfortable In-Sight Explorer development environment it was possible to have the �pick-and-place� system up and running in less than four weeks.

Precision guaranteed reliability
With this handling task, difficult facts had to also be reliably mastered. Immediately after the furnace the ceramic filters are forwarded automatically to the transport conveyor and then the robot cell. The robot must be able to detect, for example that the gripping of the type 3 part is done precisely and that it is then placed on Line 2 for further processing. The soot filter product variants differ from each other only in minor terms, however they have to be handled absolutely reliably by the image processing system.

The In-Sight 5100 vision sensor used in the robot cell must be absolutely reliable in recognising each shape amongst the roughly 25 different filter variants and also determine their exact position. To enable the robot to grip faithfully the measuring accuracy must be � 1mm. Because there are also filter variants of identical design but slightly different lengths, the image processing system must also be capable of reliably detecting these parts on the conveyor with their differing heights. Only then will the robot know which part has been picked up. The rotation angles of the mainly asymmetrically shaped parts are to be provided to the robot as extremely precise data. This has to be performed accurately as the subsequent reading of the 2D codes always has to take place at the same point for reasons of process reliability.

A great advantage in implementing this demanding task was the extraordinary reliable operation of the vision tools and algorithms that are integrated as a library into In-Sight. They are parts of the powerful PatMax vision software from Cognex. In contrast to edge detection through grey-scale correlation these tools operate using geometry-oriented object recognition. This operating principle mobilised an exceptional accuracy and reliability in recognising parts and proved to be of immense benefit. This was also shown to be a vital aspect in terms of the image processing system reliability. A target of 99.9 % was set in terms of image processing system availability. This is indispensable with regard to achieving a particularly economic automated three-shift mode.
The selected ceramic filters are then placed by the robot onto the conveyor belt that forwards them to packaging. The accurate position data as supplied by the In-Sight vision sensor then immediately controls the robot.

Fast comfortable configuration
Programming, configuring and organising the installation of the image processing system within the company enables short communication paths to be set up. This would help to achieve a speeding up of the project realisation coupled with greater flexibility in project work, and, last but not least, bring about a significantly faster response capability in any ongoing process adaptation.

Thomas Wente of Engelhard Technologie GmbH, responsible for project execution, said: �On the one hand, we considered it to be very important to be able to execute projects quickly and reliably, yet on the other hand we also wanted to be able to immediately perform any necessary changes to the process ourselves.�

On this note alone, it was also possible to master additional control tasks with regard to packing the soot particulate filters. By using an In-Sight 5100C colour vision sensor it is possible to verify whether the green quality label is available on each filter and whether the cardboard box contains the prescribed number of parts. By continuously checking the number of packed parts and by comparing the number actually produced it is possible to determine the amount of rejects/loss. The support of Cognex employees at the production line itself made it possible to completely solve the control task in only two days. Here too the benefit of having a very simple image processing programming process for the vision sensor using a spreadsheet operator interface was once again demonstrated.

Right from the start an additional expansion of the image processing system was planned for the production lines. This is why work was done straight away with the In-Sight Explorer development environment. This proved to be advantageous in terms of reducing time and costs for setting up as well as programming the networked vision sensors. The extremely user-friendly graphic working platform based on the Windows environment enabled a time-saving and application-specific effective solution for the complete vision tasks to be achieved. This serves to guarantee all aspects of the implementation including the continuous administration and communication of the vision sensor network with the production network.

The fact that the staff learnt very quickly how to use the In-Sight Explorer resulted in a significant reduction in vision development time while also providing a basis for functional reliability, system flexibility and integration into the company�s production network. This proved to be an important aspect during the following project extension. Another In-Sight has been integrated into the existing robot cell and two further vision sensors control the second robot cell which has now been installed.

Complex vision capabilities
In the past the localisation of objects or edges in the image processing system was based on the so-called grey-scale correlation. During this analysis procedure the image pixel grey stages are compared against the reference object whereupon the position is then calculated. This procedure soon reaches the limits of its capabilities when utmost precision is called for and where influences such as, for example rotation, scaling or fluctuating illumination and contrast ratios have to be mastered.

In contrast to the grey-scale correlation process, the patented Cognex vision software PatMax� procedures use the geometric basic structures of objects in a three-stage procedure. Firstly, the most important individual characteristics of an object such as the edges, dimensions, shapes, angles, arcs and shades are isolated and identified. The three-dimensional relationships between these central features of the practised image are compared against the real-time image. By analysing the geometrical data and the features and their three-dimensional relationship then it is possible to clearly define the object�s position with maximum accuracy. Features such as, e.g. outlines with low contrast can therefore be recognised much more reliably, accurately and faster.

PatMax is able to immediately recognise, for example by using a part outline, where it has to locate other characteristics despite rotation, displacement or concealment. The overall recording image no longer needs to undergo linear analysis. This in turn simplifies the feature detection process thereby rendering the vision system very fast, highly flexible and extremely reliable. PatMax records extremely high resolutions down to the subpixel range and provides reliable angular determinations of objects to 0.02 degrees. The vision tool is invariant to the object�s position, orientation and change of scale. Through simultaneous examination of the outline and structure of the object pattern it is possible to eliminate alternating illumination and contrast ratios.
About Cognex
Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets machine vision sensors and systems, or devices that can "see." Cognex vision sensors are used in factories around the world to automate the manufacture of a wide range of items and to assure their quality. Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 350,000 machine vision systems, representing over $2 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. In addition to its corporate headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, Cognex also has regional offices and distributors located throughout North America, Japan, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Visit Cognex on-line at http://www.%20cognex.co.uk/

I-CUBE offers turnkey systems custom designed to be "out of the box" solutions for specific customer applications, priced no higher than the cost of individual components.

Imaging products are chosen to both meet specific customer application requirements AND to work seamlessly together

Computer system components are selected to optimize compatibility and performance

All software, hardware, and drivers are installed and the system tested to ensure optimal performance

Systems are tested and shipped complete, enabling the customer to simply set it up upon receipt and begin productive work almost immediately - we even include cabling diagrams and custom setup instructions when applicable

Customers make only one call for technical support, eliminating integration headaches and finger pointing among component vendors.

             IMAGE ANALYSIS Solutions
CALL Barry on +27 31 764 3077 or   + 27 (0) 82-562-8225 or E-Mail NOW (info at I-Cube dot co dot za)  OR Fax Number : 0866539659 OR Contact one of our DISTRIBUTORS or an independent security advisor!

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