Artificial Vision for Robots

1. Front Matter

   Pages 1-7

   PDF

2. Introduction

   1. Introduction

      • I. Aleksander

      Pages 9-21

3. Techniques

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 23-23

      PDF

   2. Software or Hardware for Robot Vision?

      • J. D. Dessimos, P. Kammenos

      Pages 25-42

   3. Comparison of Five Methods for the Recognition of Industrial Parts

      • J. Pot, P. Coiffet, P. Rives

      Pages 43-57

   4. Syntactic Techniques in Scene Analysis

      • S. Gaglio, P. Morasso, V. Tagliasco

      Pages 58-74

4. Applications

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 75-75

      PDF

   2. Recognition of Overlapping Workpieces by Model-Directed Construction of Object Contours

      • W. Hättich

      Pages 77-92

   3. Simple Assembly Under Visual Control

      • P. Saraga, B. M. Jones

      Pages 93-113

   4. Visually Interactive Gripping of Engineering Parts from Random Orientation

      • C. J. Page, A. Pugh

      Pages 114-146

   5. An Interface Circuit for a Linear Photodiode Array Camera

      • D. J. Todd

      Pages 147-152

5. Adaptive Processing for Vision

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 153-153

      PDF

   2. Networks of Memory Elements: A Processor for Industrial Automation

      • T. J. Stonham

      Pages 155-178

   3. Computer Vision Systems for Industry: Comparisons

      • I. Aleksander, T. J. Stonham, B. A. Wilkie

      Pages 179-196

   4. Memory Networks for Practical Vision Systems: Design Calculations

      • I. Aleksander

      Pages 197-214

   5. Emergent Intelligence from Adaptive Processing Systems

      • I. Aleksander

      Pages 215-233

I. ALEKSANDER Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics BruneI University, England The three key words that appear in the title of this book need some clarification. First, how far does the word robot reach in the context of indus­ trial automation? There is an argument maintaining that this range is not fixed, but increases with advancing technology. The most limited definition of the robot is also the earliest. The history is worth following because it provides a convincing backdrop to the central point of this book: vision is likely to epitomize the technolo­ gical advance, having the greatest effect in enlarging the definition and range of activity of robots. In the mid 1950s it was foreseen that a purely mechanical arm-like device could be used to move objects between two fixed locations. This was seen to be cost-effective only if the task was to remain fixed for some time. The need to change tasks and therefore the level of programmability of the robot was a key issue in the broadening of robot activities. Robots installed in industry in the early 1960s derived their programmability from a device called apinboard. Ver­ tical wires were energized sequentially in time, while horizontal wires, when energized, would trigger off elementary actions in the manipulator arm. The task of reprogramming was a huge one, as pins had to be reinserted in the board, connecting steps in time with robot actions.

• algorithms
• automation
• brain
• cognition
• computer vision
• electrical engineering
• electronics
• image processing
• programming
• robot
• robot vision

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