Rapid Prototyping Design and Implementation of a Motion Control IntegratedWith an Inexpensive Machine Vision System

This paper describes a project designed by a group of second year mechatronics undergraduates (MechUGs) at Monash University Malaysia. A rapid prototype design for a XY plotting mechanism integrated with a CREATIVE webcam for the purpose of image acquisition and subsequent processing was developed. Motion control of this XY mechanism with an inexpensive machine vision system was developed. LabVIEW, IMAQ Vision softwares and motion controller hardware PCI-7344 were presented to a group of students for the first time. These five MechUGs were taking a problem based learning module that required them to complete a given mechatronically oriented project in only a short span of 13 weeks. The fundamental concept behind this XY plotting mechanism was to harness the precision of VEXTA stepper motors in order to accurately plot pre-programmed shapes or alternatively draw contours of images acquired from the webcam. Image acquisition and processing techniques such as thresholding, contour extraction etc. were introduced and utilized by these MechUGs. This paper describes how these MechUGs designed and constructed this prototype system. This paper also illustrates the significant enhancement of knowledge gained and hands-on skills by these undergraduates in this problem based learning experience. The Flexmotion functions in LabVIEW were utilized for the purpose of interacting with this 4 axes motion controller card (PCI-7344) to control a three stepper motors system. Additionally coordinated image acquisition, processing and motion control plotting examples were presented in this work for further illustration