Robot guidance with a photogrammetric 3‐D measuring system

A photogrammetric 3‐D machine vision system has been developed for industrial inspection and quality control applications. The system consists of several simultaneously operating solid‐state cameras and photogrammetric hardware and software. The same system has been adapted for robot guidance tasks, providing new possibilities and features. Two different applications have been chosen to demonstrate the accuracy, flexibility and speed of the photogrammetric systems in robotic applications. 3‐D object positioning is utilised in the measurement of car body positions for accurate seam‐sealing robot operation. A robotised propeller grinding cell uses profile and thickness measuring data to control the grinding process. Many other applications of photogrammetric systems are also possible, and their use in industrial manufacturing is predicted to increase in the future.