The first Vision-Guided Robot (VGR) was a pick-and-place machine known as the programmable transfer machine. Today, VGR technology has grown far beyond the initial machine. Advances in 2D and 3D cameras, visual servo control, embedded Ethernet networks, and more sophisticated software including AI are reasons for its high demand.
The benefits of incorporating a vision system into an industrial robot are numerous. Empowering a robot to “see” allows it to precisely and consistently differentiate, pick, sort, move, weld, or assemble various parts no matter their complexity. Flexibility is also another huge benefit of VGRs. As with a machine vision system on an assembly line, a VGR uses intelligent processing to give it instructions. Then there is safety, with VGRs, factories can significantly reduce the risk of on-site accidents and work directly alongside with humans.