The present invention relates to a device (1) for detecting surface defects in an object (100), for example an industrial gasket. The detection device comprises lighting means (2) configured to illuminate said object with a first light radiation (L.sub.1) having a first lighting direction (D.sub.1) or with a second light radiation (L.sub.2) having a second lighting direction (D.sub.2). According to the invention, the detection device comprises acquisition means (30) configured to acquire a plurality of B/W images of said object, when illuminated by said lighting means.

An optical device includes: a substrate having a first surface, and a second surface opposite of the first surface; a plurality of surface emitting laser elements provided on the first surface of the substrate and configured to emit light in a direction intersecting the first surface; a plurality of optical elements disposed on the second surface so as to respectively correspond to the plurality of surface emitting laser elements; and an anti-reflection structure between the substrate and the plurality of optical elements.

A method for analysing the quality of a weld bead in a welding zone using a thermal camera. A thermal image (IMG) of a given area is divided into a plurality of sub-areas each having a respective temperature (Ti). During a learning step, the temperature evolution (Ti(t)) of each sub-area is monitored for different welding conditions. During a training step, the temperature evolutions (Ti(t)) are processed for training a classifier (304). For this purpose, a respective cooling curve is extracted (302) from each temperature evolution (Ti(t)), and parameters (F) are determined that identify the shape of each cooling curve. The parameters (F) are used as input features for the classifier (304). In normal operation the temperature evolution (Ti(t)) of each sub-area (Ai) is monitored and the classifier (304) estimates weld quality (S).

An apparatus for detecting a surface condition of an object. The apparatus comprises a light source, a reflective face and an imaging device. The imaging device is configured to receive reflected light emanating from the reflective face. The reflective face is oriented at a first acute angle relative to an optical axis of the imaging device, such that a projection area of a virtual image of a surface formed via the reflective face is greater than a projection area of the surface on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

An inspecting apparatus includes a table for supporting a workpiece thereon, a light applying unit for applying light to the workpiece supported on the table, and a light detector for detecting light reflected from the workpiece. The light detector includes a camera and a diffusion plate disposed between the table and the camera.

Methods of autonomous diagnostic verification and detection of defects in the optical components of a vision-based inspection system are provided. The method includes illuminating a light panel with a first light intensity pattern, capturing a first image of the first light intensity pattern with a sensor, illuminating the light panel with a second light intensity pattern different than the first light intensity pattern, capturing a second image of the second light intensity pattern with the sensor, comparing the first image and the second image to generate a comparison of images, and identifying defects in the light panel or the sensor based upon the comparison of images. Systems adapted to carry out the methods are provided as are other aspects.

An apparatus for optical inspection of sanitaryware includes: a supporting device configured to receive a piece of sanitaryware to be inspected; at least one camera, configured to capture a plurality of images of the piece of sanitaryware under inspection; an automatic arm, movable between a plurality of operating positions relative to the supporting device, wherein the at least one camera is mounted on the automatic arm; a control unit, configured to receive the plurality of images, wherein the control unit is configured to process the plurality of images as a function of reference data to provide diagnostic information regarding the defectiveness of the piece of sanitaryware.

Block-to-block reticle inspection includes acquiring a swath image of a portion of a reticle with a reticle inspection sub-system, identifying a first occurrence of a block in the swatch image and at least a second occurrence of the block in the swath image substantially similar to the first occurrence of the block and determining at least one of a location, one or more geometrical characteristics of the block and a spatial offset between the first occurrence of the block and the at least a second occurrence of the block.

A fast method for batch screening diamonds includes placing diamonds on a worktable, turning on a light source arranged on one side of the worktable to shed light on the diamonds where the light includes visible light, photographing the diamonds on the worktable through an imager to obtain a basal image showing the distribution of the diamonds, switching the light source to shortwave UV light with a wavelength ranging from 180 nm to 250 nm, maintaining the light source in work condition for a period of time and then turn it off, photographing the diamonds on the worktable through the imager to obtain a phosphorescence distribution image showing phosphorescent diamonds, overlapping the basal image with the phosphorescence distribution image to obtain a phosphorescence comparison map, marking the phosphorescent diamonds on the phosphorescence comparison map through image recognition technology, and then picking out the phosphorescent diamonds as suspicious diamonds.

An inspection system is provided with an inspection device configured to examine the external features of an object; and a control device for controlling the inspection device;

the inspection device including: a substantially column-shaped first barrel that includes a first through hole configured for an object to pass therethrough; and a plurality of imaging units provided on the inner peripheral surface which forms the first through hole in the first barrel; and the control device including: an image processing unit configured to process an image captured and output by each of the imaging units for the purpose of inspection.