Objective The focus of this project is on automated production and manufacturing processes that require on-line assessment and sorting. European SMEs working in the field of manufacturing are often characterized by a low technological level. Moreover, repetitive and unskilled tasks are still demanding to operators. A clear disadvantage with respect to non-European industries, who have much lower production costs (e.g.,man power), must be pointed out. This proposal concerns the study and development of innovative techniques for automating and optimizing industrial processes. The system comprises two main components which will communicate directly to achieve automated sorting of disordered work-pieces such as fur skins, fabric or other flexible components. First a machine vision system comprising a computer controlled lighting and digital camera and associated image processing boards and software will be used to recognize specific work-piece objects. The location and orientation of individual work- pieces will be determined. The second system component, a manipulator arm will be to pick up the work-piece, re-orient it and place it down in a prescribed ordered fashion ready for transport to the next manufacturing or finishing process. The computer controlled robot arm, which can be a standard light-weight industrial robot, will be fitted with special purpose gripper systems which will enable reliable handling of these delicate flexible materials without damage. Machine vision systems are actually more economic thanks to advanced in sensor, lighting techniques and computing power. In particular, specific project objectives are: a) to increase the competitiveness of European SMEs and reach a satisfactory market situation; b) to increase the safety of the working environment according to EEC directives; c) to prove the feasibility of a new high-performance processing systems in this application. The main innovative aspect of this project lies in the integration of new artificial vision techniques (e.g. statistical morphology for feature extraction, artificial neural networks for surface recognition, etc.) for a specific visual inspection task whose goal is to extract reliable 2D and 3D information aimed at recognizing either fur skins or textile items according to sizes and shape. In particular: 1) the optimization and the regulation of the functioning of each visual sensor by regulating its own characteristic parameters aimed at improving the interpretation/recognition processes. 2) control and robotic techniques will be used for the automation and tele-operation of unskilled or repetitive tasks. 3) new artificial vision techniques will be developed to improve the visual inspection task. 4) a man-machine interface will be studied for on-line displaying to the operators each particular of the automated process. At the completion of the project, the final system will have to be tested and validated, also using a pilot process equipment. Fields of science engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensorsnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputer visionengineering and technologymaterials engineeringtextilesnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputational intelligence Programme(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0101 - Incorporation of new technologies into production systems Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CRS - Cooperative research contracts Coordinator Manifattura Italiana del Brembo Srl EU contribution No data Address Fornasotto 31 24040 Pontirolo Nuovo Italy See on map Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI Greece EU contribution No data Address 54006 THESSALONKI See on map Total cost No data DANUBIA Maschinen Vertriebs Gesellschaft mbH. Austria EU contribution No data Address Rechte Hauptzeile 19 7053 Hornstein See on map Total cost No data Garm Srl Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Palazzon 29 35010 Campodoro See on map Total cost No data INTELLECTRON Industrial Electronics S.A. Greece EU contribution No data Address Bipe Sindos 57022 Thessaloniki See on map Total cost No data University College London United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Torrington Place WC1E 7JE London See on map Total cost No data Università degli Studi di Udine Italy EU contribution No data Address Viale delle Scienze 206 33100 Udine See on map Total cost No data
