MERLIC is an all in one software product for quickly developing complete machine vision applications without the need for programming. Included in the software is a complete set of intuitively organized tools for solving standard machine vision applications used across many industries. In the example below, we show how MERLIC’s Check Presence with Matching tool is used to inspect electrical connectors for bent leads.
The Check Presence with Matching tool provides an effective means for detecting the presence of a trained object in an image as well as the location(s) of the object relative to trained reference positions. As seen in the image above, the check presence with matching tool utilises a training mode to define both the object model (in this case the tip of a pin) and the reference position(s) of the object. The object model is trained by drawing a region of interest around the object. MERLIC automatically adjusts the training parameters for the selected region of interest.
Using a second training image, the reference positions of the object can be automatically trained by setting the “Number of Reference Positions” parameter. MERLIC will search for and locate instances of the trained object model up to the number of reference positions defined. In some cases it may be necessary to switch the matching method parameter (shape-based or correlation-based matching) to accurately locate all instances of the object in the image.
The input parameter, maximum distance, is set to define the largest acceptable distance of the object from the reference position. In this example this parameter would define the amount of acceptable “bend” in the pin. In processing mode, MERLIC provides outputs to indicate whether or not the location of the object at each reference position is accepted, as well as absolute distance, relative distance, and other data. These results can then be used as inputs for evaluation expressions or sent to a PLC or digital I/0.
For additional information on the Check Presence with Matching tool and to view this example program, download MERLIC for free!