Robotic Tracking and Marking of Surface Shape Defects on Moving Automotive Panels

This paper examines the complex problem of robotic interaction with moving panels exhibiting few distinctive visual features, in the context of marking surface deformation defects for quality control in the automotive industry. In order to integrate a defects detection station and a robotic tracking and marking system within a unified framework, an original inter-calibration technique is developed, which allows for the distribution of these systems in two different stations along the assembly line. A robotic prototype for performing the marking operation on a moving panel, using a spraying gun, is built and its operation validated under realistic industrial scenarios. The marking accuracy that is achieved demonstrates the suitability of the proposed robotic solution to perform fully automated region marking of deformations over large surfaces and for substantial volumes of production, while relying only on passive stereoscopy.