With three different measurement procedures, the vision sensors in the SmartRunner Explorer family can cover a wide range of applications. The portfolio includes a 2-D laser profile sensor and two 3D technologies. With the 3-D devices, there is a choice between a 3-D stereo sensor and a 3-D time-of-flight sensor. All versions are available as raw data sensors, which means that the systems forward the measurement data to an external evaluation unit, usually an industrial PC.
Although the user has every conceivable freedom when it comes to further processing on the PC, intensive familiarization with sensor specific data structures is required. This is where universal interfaces such as ROS (Robot Operating System) and GenICam (Generic Interface for Cameras) come into play. They provide numerous software tools and evaluation routines for specific tasks. SmartRunner Explorers support these interfaces, allowing users to benefit from numerous options for setup, configuration, operation, and diagnosis.
The Robot Operating System ROS
The increasing use of robots goes hand in hand with the need for high-quality, easy-to-integrate sensor technology. The Explorer sensors with ROS interface give industrial PCs easy access to measurement results and configuration data. Standard commands from program libraries, which are uniform for all supported sensors, are used for this purpose. In this way, the device driver decouples the hardware from the proprietary programming interface. As an open source system, ROS offers numerous tools and software libraries with which the user can test and implement applications very easily.
GenICam: Ingeniously Simple
GenICam, which is supported by the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA), has established itself as a manufacturer-independent standard interface for industrial vision systems.
GenICam enables camera configuration and transmission of image data. The most important advantage of GenICam is that it enables the connection to many powerful image processing libraries. These libraries include Halcon. This allows applications to be implemented easily and with high performance. Pepperl+Fuchs has entered into a technology partnership with MVTec, the manufacturer of Halcon. This includes the implementation of the Genicam interface to enable access to image processing software such as Halcon. Once you have familiarized yourself with the manufacturer-independent interfaces, you no longer have to deal with the special features of each new vision sensor. In addition, all SmartRunner Explorers can be integrated via a proprietary programming interface (DLL) in C#. Additionally there are wrappers for C and Python.
Laser Light Section Technology and 2-D Area Image Output Combined
The SmartRunner Explorer 2-D provides height profiles and edge profiles with high precision. It is the only laser profile sensor on the market with simultaneous 2-D surface image output for documentation and diagnostic purposes. It is insensitive to ambient light, reflective surfaces, and low contrasts. The virtual base length extension using a deviation mirror allows it to be accommodated in a particularly compact housing, which is also equipped with a swivel connection. The 2-D vision sensor has a 100 Mbit Ethernet interface, is suitable for numerous testing, inspection, and measurement tasks, and scores with an unrivaled cost-benefit ratio.
In addition to the raw data sensors, the SmartRunner family also includes vision sensors with integrated evaluation. They can be configured to applications and provide the appropriate interfaces for PLC connection.
3-D Vision Sensors Solve the Most Demanding Sensor Challenges
As soon as 2-D information is no longer sufficient, the two 3-D technologies of the SmartRunner Explorer 3-D can demonstrate their strengths. Each image from these devices provides a point cloud based on xyz data, making the sensors suitable for both static and dynamic scenes. Highly stable aluminum housings protect against mechanical stress and also serve to dissipate operating heat.
Speed and Detection Range with the Time-of-Flight Method
The SmartRunner 3-D ToF detects objects and obstacles within the large working range of 0.5 ... 7.5 meters and delivers a 3-D point cloud up to 30 times per second. Emitted modulated light is reflected on the object in the field of view and captured with a 640 x 480 pixel resolution. The wavelength of 940 nanometers used makes the system insensitive to interference from daylight or artificial light. With its high detection range and measuring frequency, the SmartRunner 3-D ToF is predestined for dynamic applications such as use on automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or in robot control systems.
3-D Stereo Sensor with High Resolution
With a resolution of 1.4 mega pixels, the SmartRunner 3-D stereo sensor is ideal for inspection tasks and quality assurance in the near range with a very good cost-benefit ratio. The system works with two offset cameras, between which there is a light source that projects structured light onto the object. Using known information such as camera distance, offset (disparity), and focal length, the system calculates the 3-D position of each pixel using the principle of triangulation. Typical applications include pick & place applications, palletizing of containers, object measurements, presence checks, or checking fill levels.
The SmartRunner Explorers are supplied calibrated. All drivers and programming interfaces for ROS, GenICam, and the DLL for C#, C, and Python are available free of charge from the Pepperl+Fuchs homepage.
