Vision-guided robotic systems use Power-over-Ethernet cameras

APRIL 16, 2009--Comau (Southfield, MI, USA) develops turnkey automated assembly systems and produces robots, weld guns, conveyors, and recognition systems. To make the company's robotic guidance systems reliable and cost-effective, Comau engineers were determined to incorporate a Power-over-GigE camera into their systems.

This camera design would require only one cable for communications, power, and trigger. The only time a second cable would be needed would be infrequent cases in which an external trigger as a proximity switch or other external I/O was required.

Comau used the TXG camera from Baumer (Radeberg, Germany) and incorporated it into its RecogniSense software. This took some reworking by Baumer since the SDK code was written in C# and Comau's RecogniSense software was written in C++.

Now, Comau is now using the camera in two prototype applications and will incorporate the cameras at a major automotive customer. For more information, go to: http://www.controldesign.com/articles/2009/VisionRobotReliability0902.html

-- Posted by Conard Holton, Vision Systems Design, www.vision-systems.com