Inbolt

GuideNOW Enhances Flexibility and Precision for Robot Guidance

At a glance

Challenges

Inbolt wants to solve a critical issue 90% of industrial robots are facing: the inability to perceive their surroundings. The main challenges in developing such a product involved overcoming the limitations of 3D vision in various environments.

Solution

GuideNOW is a vision-based robot guidance solution that uses advanced 3D vision and AI to guide industrial robots more intuitively and efficiently. Chosen for their exceptional accuracy, high resolution, dimensional trueness, and compact size, Zivid 2+ M60 is ideal for robot guidance applications where you need to see details up close.

Result

The implementation of GuideNOW has led to significant improvements in assembly and robot guidance systems. Flexible and easy to use, programming new references takes less than 15 minutes without needing cloud access, making it accessible for both SMBs and large industries.

Zivid's performance is astonishing. We have never had such a precise point cloud before, and it has enabled us to extend the possibilities of our product significantly.” 

Maxime Poffet, R&D Engineer at Inbolt

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01 Story

Based in France, Inbolt wants to solve a critical issue 90% of industrial robots are facing: the inability to perceive their surroundings. Traditional industrial robots often rely on pre-programmed instructions and fixed pathways, which limit their ability to adapt to changes in their environment. This lack of perception renders them inflexible and challenging to manage, especially in dynamic and unpredictable environments where objects may move or vary in placement, orientation and shape. As a result, these robots require extensive mechanical constraints, precise setups, and costly fixtures to function correctly, which increases production costs and reduces operational efficiency. 

 

02 Challenges

By incorporating advanced 3D vision and artificial intelligence, inbolt wants to enable robots to "see" and interpret their surroundings. The main challenges in developing such a product involved overcoming the limitations of 3D vision in various environments. Key issues included:

  • Object recognition in cluttered environments: Ensuring precise 3D data for optimal algorithm performance, even when objects are surrounded by similar or different items.
  • Lighting conditions: Managing varying lighting conditions which could affect camera performance. Robust cameras like Zivid handle these conditions well, ensuring high performance across diverse environments
  • Complex use cases: Handling difficult items such as transparent or reflective objects and ensuring precise placement For example, metallic surfaces in the automotive industry can be reflective and harder to detect accurately.
  • Accuracy and speed requirements: Maintaining high precision and speed, with cameras needing to capture at least 30 images per second for dynamic tracking and ensuring at least 1mm accuracy in dynamic environments and 0.5mm on fixed parts.

Quick Facts

Company:
Inbolt

Application:
GuideNOW High-Precision
Robot guidance and assembly

Features:
Artificial Intelligence
High-definition 3D machine vision
Robot-mounted camera

3D camera:
Zivid 2+ M60 - industrial 3D camera

Published:
29 May 2024

“The Zivid 2+ M60 has enabled us to improve GuideNOW, offering an impressive accuracy of 0.1mm in positioning.”
Maxime Poffet

R&D Engineer at inbolt

03 Solution

GuideNOW is a vision-based robot guidance solution that uses advanced 3D vision and AI to guide industrial robots more intuitively and efficiently. This reduces the need for mechanical constraints, enhances manufacturing flexibility, and lowers production costs. The GuideNOW family includes two products - GuideNOW Real-Time and GuideNOW High Precision - compatible with industrial robots from UR, FANUC, and ABB, and integrable into static and dynamic production lines. GuideNOW High-Precision uses the Zivid 2+ 3D camera and algorithms to recognize parts, enabling robots to adapt to changes in object position, orientation, or shape without needing costly jigs and fixtures.

GuideNOW integrates a flexible Eye-in-Hand setup, where the camera is attached to the robot’s end-effector. This allows the camera to see exactly what the robot sees, providing a flexible view for accurate guidance.

Chosen for their exceptional accuracy, high resolution, dimensional trueness, and compact size, Zivid 2+ M60 is ideal for robot-mounted applications. The development of GuideNOW and its integration with Zivid cameras was carried out entirely in-house to maintain full control over the process. The Zivid SDK facilitated a smooth integration with its comprehensive documentation, and the support from Zivid was beneficial, especially in optimizing camera functionality. The system also includes a miniPC used for algorithm computation and connected via Ethernet to the robot and the Zivid camera.

04 Results

The implementation of GuideNOW has led to significant improvements in assembly and robot guidance systems. Notable results include:

  • GuideNOW’s capabilities simplify operations on assembly lines, allowing robots to adjust trajectories dynamically.
  • Programming new references takes less than 15 minutes without needing cloud access, making it accessible for both SMBs and large industries.
  • Customers are pleased with the efficiency and effectiveness of the solution. GuideNOW has expanded the possibilities for industrial robot applications, with precise point cloud data from Zivid cameras enhancing product capabilities.
  • GuideNOW is available globally, with deployments lined up in various regions. The solution is versatile and scalable, designed to adapt to diverse industrial environments.

Future developments aim to broaden the application of GuideNOW to more use cases, ensuring it remains a comprehensive tool for industries ranging from low mix high volume to highly diverse manufacturing environments.

About Inbolt

Founded in 2019, Inbolt strives to democratize industrial robotics' computer vision. Their innovation, GuideNOW, a real-time 3D vision and AI-driven robot guidance system, makes it possible for robots to dynamically locate workpieces and adjust their path, eliminating fixtures, indexing, and integration expenses.

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