A device for evaluating the condition of a wooden structure, including: a shaft; a distance sensor coupled to the shaft; and an image capture device coupled to the shaft, the distance sensor being configured to measure a location of the image capture device in the wooden structure.

A load scanning apparatus for taking physical measurements from a load. The load scanning apparatus has a scanning robot including a plurality of sensors arranged in an array spanning substantially across at least one load dimension in a first direction. The array of sensors moves together in a second direction, in a scanning plane. The plurality of sensors are configured to take images of the load from the scanning plane, and are configured to capture distance information about the distance of said load from the scanning plane.

A repair device for repairing a defect in a wooden workpiece includes: a setting punch for inserting a repair patch into a recess formed in a wooden workpiece; a feed device for feeding the repair patches to the setting punch; and a detector for detecting the orientation of the repair patch with the aid of a marking arranged on the repair patch. A rotary device may be used for rotating the repair patch about a rotational axis. The detector may include a first sensor and a second sensor, which are arranged at the repair device in such a way that they are used for detecting the marking of detection regions disposed at a distance from one another, the marking being arranged on the repair patch.

An LED matrix lighting device for illuminating a lighting pattern with even intensity. The LED matrix lighting device includes a plurality of LEDs, a collimating lens in front of each LED for collimating light of the LED, and a light refracting element in front of collimating lenses arranged to refract light of at least a first part of the LEDs with a different refraction angle than at least a second part of the LEDs. The disclosure further relates to a machine vision system, a method, and a computer program product.

Automatic detection of mechanical defects in piece parts, such as floor covering planks, enables removal of the defective parts off an inspection path. A bypass conveyor system enables defective parts to be transported beyond or around a manual inspection, enabling personnel performing the subsequent inspection to focus on appearance defects. Once the remaining parts have been inspected by a manual process, the parts transported by the bypass conveyor system are returned to the production line. Defective parts may be distinguished by a marking capability that provides the ability to mark according to a variety of classes of defects.

A system including a lumber-pickup arm having a plurality of suction cups in a staggered configuration to pick up a piece of lumber that may be cracked, crooked or askew on the pile of lumber from which it is to be picked. In some embodiments, the system performs a method that includes locating a selected piece of lumber to be picked up; lowering the pickup arm so that at least some of the plurality of suction cups are seated on a first surface of the selected piece of lumber; reducing air pressure within the at least some of the plurality of suction cups; raising and moving the pickup arm to move the piece of lumber to a first destination; and increasing air pressure within the at least some of the plurality of suction cups to release the piece of lumber at the first destination Cups not holding vacuum are deactivated.

A load scanning apparatus for taking physical measurements from a load. The load scanning apparatus has a scanning robot including a plurality of sensors arranged in an array spanning substantially across at least one load dimension in a first direction. The array of sensors moves together in a second direction, in a scanning plane. The plurality of sensors are configured to take images of the load from the scanning plane, and are configured to capture distance information about the distance of said load from the scanning plane.

Automatic detection of mechanical defects in piece parts, such as floor covering planks, enables removal of the defective parts off an inspection path. A bypass conveyor system enables defective parts to be transported beyond or around a manual inspection, enabling personnel performing the subsequent inspection to focus on appearance defects. Once the remaining parts have been inspected by a manual process, the parts transported by the bypass conveyor system are returned to the production line. Defective parts may be distinguished by a marking capability that provides the ability to mark according to a variety of classes of defects.

A method of improving board feature quality grading facilitates human check grader reaction to grading output. The method entails specifying, for application by an automatic grading system to the faces of boards passing through a scanning zone, a virtual grade expressed by a range of values that overlap values in two of successive standard rule-based grades representing higher and lower board feature qualities; producing a signal in response to detection of a board feature quality representing a virtual grade value of a board analyzed by the automatic grading system; indicating, in response to the signal, a virtual grading designation onto the board to alert a check grader to assess whether the board exhibits board feature quality that exceeds the lower board feature quality; and assigning to the board the standard rule-based grade representing the higher board feature quality whenever the check grader's assessment concurs with the virtual grade designation.

The present invention relates to a system for repairing a plywood panel. The system comprises an input section and an output section wherein at least one of these comprises a support structure for a stack of the plywood panels. The system may further comprise a detection device for scanning a plywood panel and a repairing device for performing a repair operation for the plywood panel. Moreover, the system may comprise a transport device for transporting a plywood panel from the input section to the output section and a control device for generating a control signal to the repairing device in response to a detection of a defect in the plywood panel on the basis of information obtained with the detection device. The invention also relates to a method implementable by the system.