Photometric stereo sensor for robot-assisted industrial quality inspection of coated composite material surfaces

Abstract

While composite materials are increasingly used in modern industry, the quality control in terms of vision-based surface inspection remains a challenging task. Due to the often complex and three-dimensional structures, a manual inspection of these components is nearly impossible. We present a photometric stereo sensor system including an industrial robotic arm for positioning the sensor relative to the inspected part. Two approaches are discussed: stop-and-go positioning and continuous positioning. Results are presented on typical defects that appear on various composite material surfaces in the production process.