Robot Arms with 3D Vision Capabilities

Abstract

This chapter presented two applications of 3D vision in industrial robotics. The first one allows 3D reconstruction of decorative objects using a laser-based profile scanner mounted on a 6-DOF industrial robot arm, while the scanned part is placed on a rotary table. The second application uses the same profile scanner for 3D robot guidance along a complex path, which is learned automatically using the laser sensor and then followed using a physical tool. While the laser sensor is an expensive device, it can obtain very good accuracies and is suitable for precise robot guidance.