The Most Advanced Machine Vision System You’ll Probably Ever See

Impetus to Invent

At Invent Automation, we designed and built a groundbreaking machine vision imaging system to tackle cosmetic defect detection on Class A1 surfaces. Our solution automates the 100% visual inspection of headlight lenses, slashing labor costs and eliminating defects.
We developed a spectral line scanning system with multispectral interleaving, capturing images in the RGB spectrum under four types of light. Precision patterns expose optical defects, producing 12 unique high-resolution images in one pass. Our custom algorithms process these images to spot various defects, both cosmetic and optical.
A robot maneuvers the headlight lens across a complex path, ensuring comprehensive inspection of all A-class surfaces. This innovative approach proves Invent Automation is a decade ahead of its time, setting a new standard in machine vision technology. Our system not only solves the customer’s problem but also showcases our capability as the premier provider of machine vision solutions. This proof of concept is now paving the way for defect detection in car bodies, glass, and other highly reflective surfaces.

Problem Solved

Several defect types are now detectible in one pass
Elimination of labor is now possible
Several advanced defect detection methods were developed

Lessons Learned

You have to work very closely with your client on machine vision projects to ensure they provide you with all the defect styles you can expect to encounter in the field. You can’t inspect what you don’t know about.

What Was Unique 

Getting several images out of one pass of a line scan camera required a custom light trigger, as the industry had not developed such a thing at that time.

What Was Challenging

The custom strobe trigger and signal trigger required a custom circuit board that we also used to power our custom lighting.