A controller includes a specifying part and a reception part. The specifying part specifies positions where the illumination units are connected. The reception part presents a lightable area and an unlightable area in different modes based on the positions where the illumination units are connected, the positions being specified by the specifying part. The reception part receives settings of the lighting conditions for the lightable area.

An inspection system for detecting defects in a workpiece can include an illumination source for illuminating a first section of the workpiece with a patterned light, wherein the illumination source does not illuminate a second section of the workpiece. The inspection system further includes a feedback camera for imaging the first section and producing a first output, and a background camera for imaging the second section and producing a second output. A processor compares the first output with the second output, and a controller alters the patterned light that is output by the illumination source based on the comparison. This feedback control continues until the background is suitably homogeneous or camouflaged compared to the defect, such that the visibility and/or detectability of the defect is increased.

In an inspection apparatus, light source parts for irradiating an object area on a surface of an object with light from directions, respectively, are provided, and a first picked-up image representing an object area is acquired in one image pickup part by light irradiation from one of the light source parts and a second picked-up image is acquired in the image pickup part by light irradiation from the light source parts. A first defect candidate area is detected by comparing the first picked-up image with a first reference image corresponding to the first picked-up image and a second defect candidate area is detected by comparing the second picked-up image with a second reference image corresponding to the second picked-up image. An overlapping area in the first defect candidate area and the second defect candidate area is specified as a defect area in the object area.

A lighting device for an inspection apparatus. The lighting device may include a hollow housing having an inner planar reflective surface and an opposing inner concave dome-shaped reflective surface. The lighting device may further include at least one light source disposed at the inner planar reflective surface. The hollow housing may include an opening configured to be a light outlet. An inspection apparatus including the lighting device and an imaging device coupled to the lighting device.

A collapsible light tunnel includes pairs of vertical, (optional angled) and overhead light panels collapsibly coupled together and moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The light panels include strips of LED lights, light diffusers, and fixtures/brackets for maintaining the panels in the deployed position. The overhead (and angled) light panels are collapsible adjacent the vertical panels in the stowed position.

A defect image including a defect and a defect-free image not including a defect for an article different from an inspection article are acquired to teach an identifier when inspecting for a defect in the inspection article. The identifier that has learned the images is made to identify whether an extracted inspection image obtained by segmenting the inspection image of the inspection article includes the defect and the identification results of the identifier are used to determine whether a defect is present in the inspection article. When teaching the identifier the defect, the identifier is provided with, as learning images, a plurality of extracted defect images generated from the defect image by changing an extracting region for extraction from the defect image such that the defect in the defect image is at a different position in each of the plurality of extracted defect images.

A method for detecting a defect on a surface (12) by multidirectional lighting includes acquiring a plurality of images of the surface (12) using an optical device (14) having an optical axis, each image being acquired with a lighting of the surface along a lighting direction (E, E) given for each point of the surface (12) and an optical direction (O), the images being acquired with different lighting directions (E, E) or different combinations and/or with different optical directions (O); for each point, calculating a plurality of parameters, the parameters including coefficients of an equation characterizing the response of said point of the surface as a function of the lighting direction (E, E) and an observation direction (B, B); and deducing from the calculated parameters whether the surface (12) has a defect at said point.

In order to make it possible to image the surface of a workpiece from a plurality of directions without reducing the amount of light to be projected to the workpiece, a light projection device having light emitting surfaces opposite to the workpiece and formed with a slit allowing light reflected by the workpiece to pass from the light emitting surface side toward an opposite side thereof is adapted such that the slit is formed in a tapered shape whose width gradually increases from the light emitting surface side toward the opposite side.

To make it possible to set a shift direction of phases of illuminance distributions of pattern lights to an appropriate direction and perform an inspection at high accuracy while improving setting flexibility of an illuminating section and an imaging section. A phase shift direction of pattern light irradiated from a pattern light illuminating section is determined according to moving direction information concerning a moving direction of an inspection target object with respect to an array direction of light receiving elements and positional relation information concerning a positional relation between the light receiving elements and the pattern light illuminating section.

A sealed dome light assembly for an inspection system includes a substantially dome-shaped upper housing, an annular lower housing, a plurality of light sources, and an annular cover. The upper housing includes an annular lower flange and an aperture through an apex of the upper housing. The lower housing includes a plurality of spaced light seats disposed within the lower housing. Each of the plurality of light sources is mounted within a respective one of the plurality of light seats and recessed below an upper surface of the lower housing. The cover covers the lower housing, and the cover and the lower housing define a sealed interface therebetween to provide a water-tight sealed enclosure to protect the light sources disposed within the lower housing.