The laboratory has a wide range of equipment for machine vision. In particular, this includes industrial camera sensors, high-speed cameras, line scan cameras, depth sensors, thermographic cameras and laser and ultra-light distance meters. In addition to classical computers – PCs, we also use mini-PCs, single-board computers and microcontrollers.
The laboratory is equipped with industrial matrix cameras from Basler. The cameras differ from each other in the connection option – GigE/USB 3.0, resolution, frame rate or chromaticity – monochromatic/color. The cameras are compatible with C-mount lenses.
There are 4 thermal cameras available. The WIC from Workshell – a stationary LWIR thermal camera intended for accurate temperature measurement in laboratory or industrial conditions, WIRIS 1st gen – a thermal camera for unmanned aerial vehicles. The last two cameras in the picture are FLIR Tau 2 and FLIR Boson (the smallest one) – longwave infrared thermal camera cores for embedded devices.
Lighting is an essential part of image acquisition, so there are plenty of types to choose from. Spot lights, bar lights and ring lights with different wavelengths. There is also one spot light and one bar light where the color of the lighting can be set by RGB channels. We can also find a UV ring light, a red ring darkfield light, a bar light console, a coaxial light, a green telecentric light, a red or white backlight and last but not least, a dome with a diameter of 21 cm for homogeneous illumination.
Sometimes the small lights are not enough and you need to use something more intense. There are several lights from Effilux and Chromases which are used with line scan cameras due to their high intensity and the possibility of active cooling. The most intense light is tunnel light for homogeneous illumination. The laboratory is also equipped with a few large bar lights, where the beam angle of individual LED lights is adjustable with the use of lenses.
When it comes to lenses, there is also a lot to choose from. We have a wide range of lenses from Kowa and Computar that differ in focal length, sensor size and other parameters. If no lens meets the requirements, an adjustable lens from Schneider Kreuznach can be used – first from the right – and assembled from sub-components according to the magnification and working distance you need.
Compared to a matrix camera, a line camera captures only 1 line of pixels but with an incredible frame rate (dozens of kHz). It is often used in industry for the control of endless products on a conveyor belt, such as unwinding rolls of paper, glass or textiles. We have 3 types of Basler line scan cameras which differ in resolution and frame rate. There are 3 types of Kowa lenses suitable for the cameras with different focal lengths.
The depth camera from Intel is an excellent solution not only for 3D scanning and facial recognition, but can also be utilized in robotics or VR, depending on the field of view. Basler TOF depth cameras work on the principle of measuring time of flight of reflected light from the scanned object. This attribute enables instant acquisition of 3D and 2D images. The UV camera from jAi is sensitive to wavelengths of 400 nm and less. A high-speed camera is used to capture events that are too fast to be captured by the naked eye or other devices. The frame rate of the high-speed camera which can be used in Improlab is 253 fps with 2500 x 2000 px resolution. One of the most precious pieces of equipment in the laboratory is the laser camera C2-2040-GigE from Automation Technology. The camera is used for an accurate profile measurement in 3D by laser triangulation.
There are 4 telecentric lenses available in Improlab, which can be applied to a variety of use cases. Telecentric lenses provide an orthographic projection, providing the same magnification at all distances, and low distortion. Due to those attributes, telecentric lenses become a key component for high accuracy gauging applications. Lenses that are in the lab differ in having a fixture for a coaxial light, in depth of field or magnification.
360° view lenses from Opto Engineering are considered one of the most valuable pieces of equipment in the lab. The lenses are divided in two categories: for inner and outer inspection. The two biggest lenses in the picture have been made for outer inspection. The innovative design of the pericentric lens (the biggest in the picture) allows one camera to see the top and lateral surfaces of an object in perfect focus all in one image. The second biggest lens provides 8 different views from different angles due to a system of mirrors. Hole inspection lenses have been developed for inspection of holes and cavities from the outside. On the other hand, boroscopis lenses have been developed for inspection of cavities from the inside.
The person responsible for the content of this page: doc. Ing. Štěpán Starosta, Ph.D.
