A handling system for randomly placed casting parts using plane fitting technique

We have developed a vision-based robotic handling system, especially for casting parts. To locate an object, we have focused on identifying its reference plane. The system uses a two-dimensional matching technique to recognize an object and stereo ranging to measure its heights, and then applies a plane fitting technique to decide the three-dimensional orientations. The system can recognize a randomly placed casting part resting on a supported plane such as a conveyer belt even when it is tilted or piled on other parts. This paper describes the system and presents some experimental results.