Using Industrial Machine Vision, Canon aims to develop vision systems for automatic production robots to be used during the assembly and inspection processes for various products.
Performing the same function as the human vision system, the illumination and capture unit employed in these systems incorporates some of Canon's most advanced imaging and optical technologies. Meanwhile, the processing unit, which serves as the brain of the system, is equipped with various recognition and image-processing technologies developed by the company. Additionally, to provide intelligent learning capabilities, the unit contains algorithms developed based on statistical machine learning, which makes possible estimation and learning through the analysis of statistical data.
Because many of the parts used in cameras and other products are achromatic—many being either black or white in appearance—or made of glossy or transparent material, identifying individual parts from within a large pile proved challenging. With Industrial Machine Vision SMV, however, development focuses on the realization of visual capabilities that enable the high-speed and high-precision supply and assembly of such parts.