[Design News]

…  In automated automotive assembly lines, 2D systems just can’t cover the entire range of defects on complex pieces. One simple method for achieving 3D machine vision is to position multiple 2D cameras around a stationary or moving object on the assembly line and synchronize them using triggering devices, to produce stereo images. This works fairly well to generate 3D location information when the region of interest is large and the cameras are close to the object. It’s also better for stationary objects. Because of parallax, this method results in some depth distortion in the field of vision. It also can get expensive if many cameras are needed.  …

Self-contained 3D smart cameras, each of which can produce a 3D image, are becoming more desirable in some higher-end applications such as aerospace, and are sometimes used with robotic vision in automotive assembly. One of the smallest is the VC nano 3D from Vision Components. Measuring only 140mm x 70mm x 35mm, its line laser enables real-time image recording at a scan rate of up to 400 Hz using the 3D image acquisition triangulation method. Another is the 2 megapixel 3D high-speed C4-2040-GigE camera with GenICam fromAutomation Technology, which also uses laser triangulation.

Read the full story here: http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=235514&f_src=designnews_gnews