This robot controller causes a robot to follow a target, while a transfer device moves the target, by using a detection result obtained by a movement-amount detecting device that detects the amount by which the transfer device moves the target. When the value of any one of the speed, the acceleration, and the jerk of the target calculated based on the detection result obtained by the movement-amount detecting device or the pattern of the speed, the acceleration, and the jerk deviates from the predetermined reference, the robot controller performs predetermined reporting or stops the robot.

Additive manufacturing systems, methods, and computer readable media may be configured to perform a calibration. Calibrating an additive manufacturing system may include comparing a digital representation of one or more calibration marks to a calibration-CAD model that includes one or more model calibration marks, and applying a calibration adjustment to one or more CAD models based at least in part on the comparison. The digital representation of the one or more calibration marks may have been obtained using a vision system, and the one or more calibration marks may have been printed on a calibration surface according to the calibration-CAD model using an additive manufacturing machine. The calibration adjustment may be configured to align the one or more CAD models with one or more coordinates of the additive manufacturing system.

Data is received that includes a feed of images of a plurality of objects passing in front of each of a plurality of inspection camera modules forming part of each of a plurality of stations. The stations can together form part of a quality assurance inspection system. The objects when combined or assembled, can form a product. The received data derived from each inspection camera module can be separately analyzed using at least one image analysis inspection tool. The analyzing can include visually detecting a unique identifier for each object. The images are transmitted with results from the inspection camera modules along with the unique identifiers to a cloud-based server to correlate results from the analyzing for each inspection camera module on an product-by-product basis. Access to the correlated results can be provided to a consuming application or process via the cloud-based server.

Disclosed is a coating apparatus. A first imaging unit captures an image of the substrate disposed on the stage. A second imaging unit captures an image of the substrate disposed on the stage with a narrower viewing angle and higher resolution than the first imaging unit. The control unit performs a pre-alignment processing of capturing an image of a circular pre-alignment mark formed on the substrate using the first imaging unit and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured image and, after the pre-alignment processing, performs a fine-alignment processing of capturing an image of a circular fine-alignment mark formed on the substrate using the second imaging unit and performing positioning of the substrate by controlling the moving mechanism and the rotating mechanism based on the captured image.

A method and apparatus for generating machining code of workpieces from a paper engineering drawing are provided. The method includes processing the paper engineering drawing to be a binary image; extracting dimension features and shape features of the workpieces from the binary image; and generating the machining codes of the workpieces based on the extracted dimension features and shape features of the workpieces. The machining codes indicate the dimension and shape of the workpieces, Machining codes of workpieces are generated from a paper engineering drawing directly without manual involvement.

The utility model provides system and apparatus for communication between different interfaces. The system includes at least an image process module for processing at least an image signal produced from a least an industrial embedded system, a remote control module coupled to at least said image process module for receiving said processed image signal and transmitting it to a remote computer, wherein said remote control module further receiving a control command of said remote computer, and at least a control module coupled to said remote module for receiving and processing said command.

Methods of positioning a gripper to pick or place a specimen container from a sample rack. One method includes providing a robot including the gripper, the gripper moveable in a coordinate system by the robot and including gripper fingers, providing a sample rack including receptacles containing specimen containers, providing data, obtained by imaging, regarding the specimen containers in the sample rack, and dynamically orienting the gripper based upon the data. The data may include population and/or configuration data and the dynamic orientation may include gripper finger opening distance, gripper finger rotational position, and/or gripper offset distance. Gripper positioning apparatus for carrying out the method are disclosed, as are other aspects.

Methods of operating a gripper are provided. The methods include providing a robot including the gripper, the gripper moveable by the robot and including gripper fingers, providing a sample rack including receptacles accessible by the gripper, at least some of the receptacles adapted to contain specimen containers, providing data, obtained by imaging, regarding the sample rack and the specimen containers therein, and determining, based on the data, an accessible target receptacle for one of a pick operation or a place operation. Apparatus and systems configured to carry out the methods are provided, as are other aspects.

Methods are disclosed relating to the operation of a micro-structural fluid ejector in a fluid printing apparatus. The methods include providing an imaging system, capturing a digital image of the micro-structural fluid ejector and its surroundings, and pre-processing the digital image to detect edges. A method of detecting contact of a micro-structural fluid ejector to a substrate includes repeatedly lowering the print head and measuring the length of a detected edge until the currently measured length is determined to be longer than a previously measured length. A method of adjusting contact of a micro-structural fluid ejector to a substrate includes calculating a bending coefficient A of the micro-structural fluid ejector and lowering the print head toward the substrate if the bending coefficient A is less than a minimum threshold value A.sub.min, raising the print head away from the substrate if the bending coefficient A is greater than a maximum threshold value A.sub.max, and making no change to the vertical displacement of the print head if the bending coefficient A is in the range of A.sub.min to A.sub.max. A method of detecting a fault condition in fluid flow from a micro-structural fluid ejector onto a substrate includes analyzing the digital image to determine whether edges are present in a region of interest where fluid dispensed from the micro-structural fluid ejector should be present.

The disclosure relates to a coating method including the specification of at least one coating path for moving a paint impact point along at least one coating path over the surface, the at least one coating path running through a surface region of the component to be coated which is bounded by edges. The disclosure also includes, presetting reference values of the spatial edge point positions and/or of the edge point orientations of the surface region, spatial measurement of position, orientation and/or shape of the component to be coated or of a part of the component to be coated with a measuring system, where, in the course of the spatial measurement, measured values of the edge point positions and/or of the edge point orientations of the edge points on the edges of the surface region are measured. Lastly, the disclosure includes determining the deviation between the measured values of the edge point positions and/or the edge point orientations and the reference values of the edge point positions and/or the edge point orientations, and adapting the coating path as a function of the deviation between the reference values of the edge point positions and the measured values of the edge point orientations.