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WO2001094922A1 - Appareil et procede permettant de visionner et d'inspecter une region de surface circonferencielle d'un objet - Google Patents

Appareil et procede permettant de visionner et d'inspecter une region de surface circonferencielle d'un objet Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001094922A1
WO2001094922A1 PCT/US2000/015740 US0015740W WO0194922A1 WO 2001094922 A1 WO2001094922 A1 WO 2001094922A1 US 0015740 W US0015740 W US 0015740W WO 0194922 A1 WO0194922 A1 WO 0194922A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
image
generating
surface section
view
mirror
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2000/015740
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
John Nazarian Pike
Yogesh Mehrotra
Herbert Kaplan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Materials Technologies Corp
Original Assignee
Materials Technologies Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US08/959,387 external-priority patent/US5936725A/en
Priority to US09/326,957 priority Critical patent/US6122045A/en
Priority claimed from US09/326,957 external-priority patent/US6122045A/en
Application filed by Materials Technologies Corp filed Critical Materials Technologies Corp
Priority to PCT/US2000/015740 priority patent/WO2001094922A1/fr
Priority to EP00939674A priority patent/EP1287340A4/fr
Publication of WO2001094922A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001094922A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
    • G01B11/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
    • G01B11/08—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring diameters
    • G01B11/10—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring diameters of objects while moving
    • G01B11/105—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring diameters of objects while moving using photoelectric detection means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
    • G01B11/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
    • G01B11/08—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring diameters
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
    • G01B11/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
    • G01B11/24—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring contours or curvatures
    • G01B11/245—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring contours or curvatures using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
    • G01B11/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
    • G01B11/30—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces
    • G01B11/303—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces using photoelectric detection means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
    • G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
    • G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
    • G01N21/95—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
    • G01N21/952—Inspecting the exterior surface of cylindrical bodies or wires
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B17/00—Systems with reflecting surfaces, with or without refracting elements
    • G02B17/02—Catoptric systems, e.g. image erecting and reversing system
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B26/00—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements
    • G02B26/08—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements for controlling the direction of light
    • G02B26/10—Scanning systems

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for viewing and inspecting a 360 degree or circumferential surface section of a three-dimensional test object, such as a cylindrical, square or elliptical wire or cable having an insulative coating or polymeric layer thereon, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for simultaneously viewing a 3&0 degree or circumferential surface area of a test object and generating a plurality of distinct surface images, wherein each surface image covers a respective portion of the circumferential surface area, and is spatially separated, substantially without vignetting, from the other surface images .
  • the detection of surface flaws in wires, cables, and like three-dimensional objects is frequently accomplished by visual/manual inspection.
  • visual/manual inspection For example, the detection of such flaws or imperfections in polymeric coatings or insulative layers on wires and cables (such as stress cracks (from the external surface inward) and abrasion chipping) is presently accomplished by close visual inspection.
  • visual imaging is frequently sufficient for predicting the effective future service life of the wire/cable or its insulation.
  • direct visual inspection the inspector can see only at the most one-half the circumference of the insulated wire. To see the hidden part of the circumference, the inspector either must physically rotate the wire or relocate himself with respect to the wire.
  • the wire is fixedly secured or attached to another structure, such as an interior wall or surface, including that of an aircraft or other vehicle, thus preventing the inspector from relocating himself to view the hidden portion of the wire. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks and disadvantages of prior art apparatus and methods for visual and/or camera inspection of the surface structure and/or integrity of a test object, and to provide a novel apparatus and method for viewing all sides (or 360 degrees) of a test surface, such as the circumferential surface of a wire or cable, to thereby increase overall inspection speed, reliability and/or thoroughness.
  • the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for generating a 360 degree view of a target surface of a three-dimensional object, examples of which include a wire or cable that may or may not have an insulative layer thereon, and for visually or otherwise inspecting the target surface for flaws or imperfections.
  • the apparatus comprises a receiving lens defining an optical axis extending through the object, and an origin located on the optical axis within the object and spaced a predetermined distance from the receiving lens, for generating a direct image of a front surface section of the object.
  • a first mirror is spaced a first predetermined distance from the origin on an opposite side of the object relative to the receiving lens, and the first mirror generates a first mirror image of a first rear surface section of the object.
  • a second mirror is spaced a second predetermined distance from the origin on an opposite side of the object relative to the receiving lens, and on an opposite side of the optical axis relative to the first mirror, and the second mirror generates a second mirror image of a second rear surface section of the object.
  • the first and second mirror images are each defined in part by a first and second central ray, respectively (i.e., a ray extending from the origin or center of the test object to the respective mirror) , and each central ray defines a respective angle of incidence with respect to the first or second mirror.
  • the first and second predetermined distances and the first and second angles of incidence of the mirrors may be selected to generate at least three distinct, non-vignetting images forming a 360 degree view of the target surface of the object.
  • the images themselves may be formed by reflected or emitted UV, visible, or infrared radiation from the test object.
  • an inspector, camera or other viewing device may simultaneously view all sides of a wire, cable or other three-dimensional test object.
  • the inspector and/or camera may simultaneously view at least three images, separated spatially, and substantially without vignetting between images.
  • Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the same mirror configuration and associated method of viewing may be employed for both UV and infrared inspection and viewing.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the invention employing a double-mirror configuration for simultaneously viewing all sides of a cable, wire or other test object.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the first or upper-rear mirror of the apparatus of FIG. 1 and illustrating the manner in which the apparatus and method of the invention may be configured to provide areas of image overlap or redundancy.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the three, side-by-side images ("upper rear", “direct” and “lower rear") generated by the apparatus of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of the invention employing fiber-optic image conduits and a miniature visible-range camera for simultaneously viewing at least three, spatially distinct images forming a 360 degree view of a target surface .
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the apparatus of FIG. 4 mounted within a hand-held instrument for scanning cables, wires or like test objects for visual inspection.
  • FIG. 6 is a partial, schematic illustration of another embodiment of the invention employing diffuse reflection measurement of the target surface .
  • FIG. 7 is a partial, schematic illustration of an alternative to the embodiment of FIG. 6 employing surface mirrors and micro-lens pairs to provide sharper sensing of reflectance changes along the target surface .
  • FIG. 8 is a partial, schematic illustration of the means provided for laterally-illuminating the target surface area with the diffuse-reflection configurations of FIGS. 6 and 7.
  • FIG. 9 is a partial, schematic illustration of the apparatus of FIGS. 6-8 mounted within a hand-held instrument .
  • FIG. 10 is a partial, schematic illustration of a lamp/mirror arrangement employed in another embodiment of the invention for externally heating, and for conducting infrared inspection of the target surface .
  • FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of the invention employing a laser and auxiliary optics to heat, and in turn conduct infrared inspection of the target surface.
  • FIG. 12 is a partial schematic view of another embodiment of the invention employing a folded optical path in order to make the overall apparatus more compact .
  • FIG. 13 is a partial schematic view of the apparatus of FIG. 12 showing the mirror 580 rotated 180° and the receiving lens 512 shifted relative to the, positions of FIG. 12 in order to magnify the viewed images .
  • FIG. 14 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention employing separate receiving lens and detector pairs for generating images of the respective surface sections of the target surface.
  • FIG. 15 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention employing a plurality of receiving lens and detector pairs, wherein the central receiving lens defines a relatively short focal length (f) in order to generate a plurality of distinct, non- vignetting images of approximately the same size.
  • an apparatus embodying the present invention for generating a 360 degree view of a target surface area of a test object and for visually or otherwise inspecting the target surface is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.
  • the test object illustrated in FIG. 1 is a wire or cable defining an outer diameter "D" .
  • the apparatus and method of the present invention equally may be employed to generate a 360 degree view of any of numerous objects, defining any of numerous configurations, such as a square, elliptical or other unique cross-sectional configuration, and/or may be employed to simultaneously view several test objects, such as a bundle of wires or cables, or other aggregates.
  • the apparatus 10 comprises a receiving lens 12 defining an optical axis 14 extending through the test object, and an origin "0" located on the optical axis within the test object.
  • the origin "0" is located at the center of the test wire or cable (defining a circular cross-sectional configuration) .
  • the receiving lens 12 receives and generates a first direct, two-dimensional image of a front surface section of the test object.
  • the apparatus 10 further comprises a first mirror 16 spaced a first predetermined distance "LI" from the origin "0" on an opposite side of the test object relative to the receiving lens 12. As shown in broken lines in FIG. 1, the first mirror 16 generates a first two-dimensional reflected image of the first mirror's field of view corresponding to a first rear surface section of the test object. As also shown in
  • the first reflected image is defined in part by a first central or chief ray 18 defining a first angle of incidence " ⁇ l" upon the first mirror 16.
  • the first central ray 18 is the one traveling along the line extending between the origin "0" (or center of the test object) and the first mirror 16, which is received by the receiving lens 12 at the center point "A" located on the optical axis 1 .
  • a second mirror 20 is spaced a second predetermined distance "L2" from the origin "0" on an opposite side of the test object relative to the receiving lens 12, and on an opposite side of the optical axis 14 relative to the first mirror 16. As shown in broken lines in FIG.
  • the second mirror 18 generates a second two-dimensional reflected image of the second mirror's field of view corresponding to a second rear surface section of the test object.
  • the second reflected image is defined in part by a second central or chief ray 22 defining a second angle of incidence " ⁇ 2" upon the second mirror 20.
  • the second chief ray 22 is the one traveling along a line extending between the origin "0" (or center of the test object) and the second mirror 20, and which is received by the receiving lens 12 at the center point "A" located on the optical axis 14.
  • the mirrors 16 and 20 are preferably front surface, planar mirrors positioned so that the three or more images of the test surface will simultaneously appear side-by-side upon transmission through the receiving lens 12.
  • the receiving lens 12 may be defined in the most basic case by an inspector's eye lens, but is preferably defined by a viewing device, such as a visual or infrared (“IR”) camera having planar detector mosaics for visually displaying the viewed images in the preferred side-by- side manner.
  • a viewing device such as a visual or infrared (“IR") camera having planar detector mosaics for visually displaying the viewed images in the preferred side-by- side manner.
  • IR infrared
  • the use of front surface mirrors 16 and 20 ensures that the radiant energy emitted or reflected by the target surface and sensed by a camera or eye is not spectrally limited, but can be any wavelength region of interest from the ultraviolet (“UV") through the visible to the far-IR.
  • UV ultraviolet
  • conventional rear surface mirrors may be employed instead.
  • curved mirrors rather than plane mirrors also may be employed. When appropriately configured, curved mirrors may produce a more normalized view and/or a more uniform irradiation of the target surface.
  • a detector 24 is optically coupled to the receiving lens 12 for receiving the direct image of the front surface section, and as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1, the receiving lens and detector preferably form components of a viewing camera 26.
  • the first and second reflected images of the two rear surface sections of the target surface are preferably displayed on an image screen of the viewing camera in a side-by-side relationship.
  • the apparatus 10 preferably further comprises three sub-miniature lamps 28, which are spaced approximately 120 degrees apart, and positioned to illuminate from the side the viewed region of the test surface.
  • the sub- miniature lamps 28 are preferably blocked from direct and mirror views to avoid visual glare at the observation point of the eye or camera lens .
  • the choice and placement of the mirrors 16 and 20 are preferably designed so that every point on the circumference of the target surface under inspection appears in at least one of the images falling simultaneously on the detector mosaic.
  • the same mirror configuration can be utilized both for irradiating and viewing all sides of the test object simultaneously, in any wavelength region from UV through IR, by adding one or several lamps or laser components to the basic viewing configuration of FIG. 1.
  • the first and second predetermined distances LI and L2 , respectively, and the first and second angles of incidence of the mirrors ⁇ l and ⁇ 2, respectively (or the angular orientations of the first and second mirrors 16 and 20, respectively), are each selected to generate at least three distinct, non-vignetting images forming a 360 degree view of the surface area of the test object under inspection, and visually arranged in a side-by- side manner.
  • a further advantage of the preferred embodiment of the invention (which is also consistent with the condition of non-vignetting images) is that the mirrors of the apparatus may be configured so that all three views simultaneously seen from three directions are equiangular and symmetrically spaced around the circumference (or perimeter) of the test object. This feature significantly eases the software requirements for quantitative surface mapping and/or thermography.
  • lines LI and L2 of the first and second chief rays should each be inclined at approximately +60 degrees with respect to the optical axis 14 (i.e., the first and second angles of incidence ⁇ l and ⁇ 2, respectively, are each approximately +60 degrees) , and the mirrors are configured with respect to the receiving lens 12 so that the chief rays eventually pass through the center point A of the lens .
  • the length of each of the lines LI and L2 must be greater than or equal to a minimum value which is determined in a manner known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based on the distance "S" between the receiving lens 12 and the origin "0", the diameter D of the test object (or, if not circular, another major cross-sectional dimension) and the diameter of the receiving lens 12.
  • "non-vignetting" is used in a relatively restricted sense: LI and L2 must be of sufficient length that all parts of the upper and lower reflected images can be seen from every point on the surface of the receiving lens 12.
  • the tilt of eac mirror 16 and 20 with respect to the optical axis 14 should be one or several degrees under 60 degrees (and thus the preferred tilt is defined herein as “approximately +60 degrees") .
  • the first and second predetermined distances LI and L2 can be any convenient distance larger than the minimum distance necessary to prevent vignetting, and generally limited only by the necessity to keep all three images of the test object within the extent of a film frame or the mosaic detector of a viewing camera.
  • each of the mirror views shows its particular one-half of the circumference of the wire or other test object.
  • the "direct,” “upper” and “lower” views provide a significant degree of imaging redundancy, and more than sufficient visual information for the inspector to be certain that all points along the circumference are viewed simultaneously.
  • the inspector sees the side of the test surface described by the 180 degree solid arc ABC.
  • the inspector sees the 180 degree dashed arc A'B'C .
  • the redundant visual overlap view is the 60 degree arc A' .
  • the second mirror 20 at -60 degrees to the optical axis as shown in FIG. 1 creates two additional 60 degree overlap arcs of redundant imagery, all visible to the inspector.
  • the redundancy of image information in the three overlap arcs (after correction for the mirror inversions of the images) can be used to produce a precise circumferential mapping of observed surface flaws.
  • the presence of the three regions or arcs of image overlap provides internal dimensional calibration for all three views.
  • the term "inspector" is used herein to describe either a person or viewing device, such as a television or IR camera.
  • the apparatus of the invention may be mounted within a handheld instrument configured much like a soldering or caulking gun.
  • the first and second mirrors 16 and 20 may be mounted in a pair of upper and lower jaws, respectively, and a spring-loaded trigger may be connected to one or both jaws to open and close them.
  • the trigger is depressed to open the jaws and receive the wire or like test object over the origin "0" of the instrument, and the trigger may then be released to close the jaws around the test object without necessarily contacting the object.
  • the instrument then may be moved slowly by hand (i.e., "scanned") along the wire or other test object until an obstruction prevents further travel or the entire object is scanned.
  • the hand-held instrument permits the inspector to see all parts of the wire insulation surface (or other test surface) along the entire unobstructed length of the test object in an uninterrupted sequential view.
  • the inspector may wish to move the instrument slightly toward and away from the wire target, to obtain the sharpest possible imagery at will at any point of interest on the target surface.
  • the inspector's normal hand-eye coordination will tend automatically to do this in any case, similar to what one does naturally when reading at normal reading distances: the depth of field of the normal eye is more than sufficient to keep this "hunting" for best focus to an unnoticeable minimum.
  • a preferred practical solution is to focus the camera at the mid-point between the two distances, and to increase the f/number of the lens to such a value that the resolution blur circles of both direct and mirror images are within the resolution of the CCD image receptor of the camera. With this compromise (which may entail increased illumination of the test surface) , the inspector will not have to "hunt" for the best image .
  • FIG. 3 typical "direct”, “upper rear”, and “lower rear” views generated and arranged in a side-by-side manner in accordance with the invention are illustrated schematically. Because of the laws of plane mirror reflection, each of the reflected rear views is inverted with respect to the direct view.
  • the actual test or target surface is seen in the direct view: spots A and B are shown on the directly visible portion of the test surface (selected here to be within the overlap arc regions of the surface) , and there is assumed to be a third spot C in the middle of the rear (hidden) side of the test surface.
  • the upper and lower rear views, which the inspector also sees, show where the reflections of the points A, B and C are located: at A', B' and C.
  • any flaw or spot in one of the three overlap arcs will be seen twice, providing excellent surface mapping coordinates, if desired.
  • the arrows in FIG. 3 showing rotation indicate what happens if the inspector rotates the wire or other test object around its axis (i.e., rotation toward or away from the inspector's line of sight). If the rotation is counter-clockwise, i.e., such as to bring A toward, and B away from the line of sight, the inspector will then see both images rotate in a clockwise direction, i.e., A' will move away, and B' toward the inspector.
  • the viewing technique may be learned quickly: if one sees a flaw in any one (or two) of the three views, it becomes perfectly natural to slightly rotate the wire or other test object to bring one of the images into the center of one of the fields of view.
  • computer- assisted television viewing on the other hand, such corrections for visual satisfaction are unnecessary, since the geometrical mapping information from the three overlap arcs is more than sufficient to pin-point and delineate any flaws seen.
  • the virtual objects seen in the upper and lower reflected rear views are, by geometrical optics, located farther from the eye or viewing camera lens than is the direct view of the target surface.
  • this scaling factor is exactly calculable by geometry once the optomechanical design of the double-mirror system with respect to the viewing lens (e.g., eye, TV camera or IR camera) is fixed.
  • the effect of this scaling factor is also illustrated in FIG. 3 -- the rear view section images appear to be shorter and thinner than the direct view.
  • the locations of the reflected off-axis points A' and C are also shifted from strict Cartesian geometry, but these shifts are not to be confused with barrel distortion.
  • This optical effect has no influence on the accuracy or reliability of mapping defects on the test surface, since the scaling factor can be built into the image analysis software for automatic image size compensation in a manner known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 another apparatus embodying the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 110.
  • the apparatus 110 is the same in many respects as the apparatus 10 described above, and therefore like reference numerals preceded by the numeral 1 are used to indicate like elements.
  • the primary difference of the apparatus 110 is that fiberoptic image conduits and a miniature TV camera are used to simultaneously observe, for example, four views of an insulated wire, harness, or other test object.
  • the apparatus 110 includes a plurality of fiber-optic image conduits 130, each optically coupled through a respective pair of first and second relay micro-lenses 132 and 134, respectively, to a respective surface plane mirror, shown typically at 116.
  • Ultra-bright red LEDs 136 are mounted on either side of each mirror for laterally- illuminating the viewed area.
  • the apparatus 110 comprises four image sensors (each sensor includes the mirror shown typically at 116, micro-lens pair 132, 134, and ultra-bright LEDs 136), four fiber-optic image conduits 130, a common CCD image receiver 138 optically coupled to the four image conduits 130, and a display screen 140 coupled to the receiver for simultaneously displaying the four images of the test or target surface .
  • each fiber-optic conduit is a 3.2 mm, 60 line/mm conduit; however, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a different number of imaging sensors, as well as numerous other types fiber-optic cables and optical coupling devices equally may be employed.
  • the apparatus 110 is shown in the form of a hand-held instrument configured much like a soldering or caulking gun in the manner described above with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 1.
  • the hand- held instrument 110 comprises a frame 142 including a handle 144, an eyepiece 146 containing the miniature display screen 140, and an upper jaw or arm 148 projecting outwardly from the handle.
  • a lower jaw or arm 150 is hingedly (or pivotally) connected to the upper jaw 148 at the fulcrum "X", and a trigger 152 is fixedly secured to the lower jaw. As shown in FIG.
  • each of the upper and lower jaws 148 and 150 defines a recess adjacent to its distal end, and the two recesses form a test aperture 154 for receiving the wire or other test object between the jaws.
  • the optical axis 114 of the instrument extends through the test aperture 154, and the origin "0" is located within the center of the aperture.
  • two fiber-optic image conduits 130 and their associated image sensors are fixedly mounted within the upper jaw 148
  • two fiberoptic image conduits 130 and their associated image sensors are fixedly mounted within the lower jaw 150
  • each of the four mirrors 116 is angularly spaced approximately 90 degrees relative to the next for simultaneously generating four, equi-angular views of the test surface.
  • a receiving or high-quality relay lens 112 is mounted within the frame 142 and is optically coupled to the other ends of the fiber-optic image conduits 130 with its center aligned with the optical axis 114 and origin "0" of the instrument.
  • a board-level CCD 138 having a mosaic monochrome detector is also mounted within the frame 142 and optically coupled between the relay lens and the miniature display 140 (e.g., an LCD display) for simultaneously transmitting and displaying the four equi-angular views of the test surface.
  • An electronic umbilical cord 154 is mounted through the base of the handle 144 and contains a power line and other suitable connectors for powering the electronic components of the instrument and/or for connecting the instrument to a computer, if desired.
  • the trigger 152 and lower jaw 150 are spring- loaded in a manner known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art so that the lower jaw is normally biased into the closed position in contact with the upper jaw. However, in operation, the trigger 152 may be depressed against the bias of the spring (not shown) to open the jaws and receive the wire or other test obj ect over the origin " 0 " of the instrument . The trigger then may be released to close the jaws around the test object without necessarily contacting the object. The instrument then may be moved slowly by hand (i.e., "scanned") along the wire or other test object until an obstruction prevents further travel or the entire object is scanned. Each upper image conduit, shown typically at 130 in FIG.
  • the two lower image conduits 130 are gently bent in the same manner as the upper conduits, and rigidly attached to the lower jaw or arm 150. Only when the lower jaw 150 is in the closed position surrounding the test object will the exit (or left) ends of the lower image conduits 130 be in the proper position to have their two light beams in sharp focus on the two upper quadrants of the CCD 138. When this is the case, however, the inspector will see within the display 140 all four images, side-by-side, each in a respective quadrant of the display, constituting a 360 degree or circumferential view of the wire or other test object. The inspector may move the handle or grip 144 slightly by his or her own hand motion to get any one of these images in as sharp focus as possible.
  • the triangulation sensor comprises three miniature, high-frequency electret microphones/sensors 156 mounted on the upper and lower jaws 148 and 150, respectively, adjacent to the test aperture 154, and angularly spaced approximately 120 degrees relative to each other.
  • each sensor 156 When pulsed, each sensor 156 generates a 10 ⁇ sec or shorter ultrasonic pulse, and for a beeper-to-wire distance of about 5 mm, for example, the round trip time for the leading edge of the pulse is about 30 ⁇ sec, thus permitting distance ranging by each sensor.
  • the three measured time delays from the sensors 156 are transmitted to a logic circuit 158, which may be mounted, for example, in the handle 144 of the instrument, and the logic circuit compares each signal to the other. If there are any differences in the three signals, the logic circuit 158 produces an audio tone which only goes lower in pitch as all three time delays approach equality. Thus, the inspector may move his hand about, "hunting" almost sub-consciously, to always keep the audio tone as low as possible.
  • One advantage of the ultrasonic triangulation sensor is that the centering signal or "prompter” is entirely audible, and therefore does not in any way interfere with the inspector's operation and viewing of the instrument and its image display.
  • the fiber-optic design of FIGS. 4 and 5 should have a practical overall resolution at the LCD display 140 of about 2 mils (approximately 50 ⁇ ) , inclusive of all sources of resolution loss.
  • This resolution is sufficient to estimate, for example, crack depth in the target surface by assessing the relative darkness of the crack, i.e., the darker the image, the deeper the crack.
  • the inspector sees a relatively darker image on the LCD display 140, he or she will (typically as a reflex reaction) move his or her hand and the instrument around so as to sharpen the particular quadrant's image, which may in turn bring the resolution closer to the 60 line/mm level (approximately 0.7 mils) claimed by typical image conduit specifications. This level of resolution will enable the inspector to nearly quantitatively measure the dimensions of the defect or anomaly.
  • FIGS. 6-9 another embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference number 210.
  • the apparatus 210 is similar in many respects to the apparatus 110 described above, and therefore like reference numerals preceded by the numeral 2 instead of the numeral 1 are used to indicate like elements.
  • the primary difference of the apparatus 210 in comparison to the embodiments described above, is that this apparatus does not visually image the target surface, but rather makes a diffuse reflection measurement of the target surface during a scan. Accordingly, rather than sense image information in the manner described above, the apparatus 210 senses abrupt changes in signal level from point to point as the instrument (as shown in FIG. 9) is scanned along the target surface.
  • diffuse reflection inspection will require that the test surface be wiped reasonably clean, or be at least uniformly smeared.
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate typical linear fiber optic array configurations of the apparatus 210 for sensing an illuminated patch of a wire or other test object having a diameter "D" , and which may have a typical stress crack "Z" in the insulative coating of the wire or like object (FIG. 6) .
  • the preferred hand-held instrument of the invention comprises at least three fiber-optic arrays and associated optical components (also referred to as “modules") equally spaced relative to each other about the origin "0" of the instrument for generating at least three side-by-side, non-vignetting images constituting a 360 degree view of the target surface.
  • modules also referred to as “modules”
  • the linear fiber-optic array 230 preferably comprises a plurality of relatively low-cost plastic fibers, typically about 10 mil in diameter, and having a minimum bend radius of about 1/4 inch.
  • a respective micro- lens 232 is mounted between each fiber-optic array 230 and the target surface in order to focus the array on the surface.
  • Each micro-lens 232 typically has a diameter of 3 mm or less, and a working distance of a few mm in each conjugate.
  • a respective phototransistor 238 is optically coupled to the other end of each fiber optic array 230 and generates signals indicative of changes in the diffuse reflection from point to point on the target surface.
  • an alternative array configuration comprises a surface mirror 216, and respective first and second micro-lenses 232, 234 (Ramsden or Lister design) for improving imaging quality over the embodiment of FIG. 6.
  • the arrangement of the micro-lens pair 232, 234 and the surface mirror 216 will provide sharper sensing of the reflectance changes along the target surface, and also ease the problem of bending the fibers within the confines of a small hand-held instrument.
  • the preferred construction for laterally illuminating the target surface comprises a pair of fiber-optic arrays 260, each optically coupled to a respective glass rod 262 forming a cylindrical lens for focusing the light emitted by the arrays onto the target surface. As shown schematically in FIG.
  • the array configurations of either FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 are mounted between the opposing glass rods 262 and fiberoptic arrays 260 to form a respective module for illuminating and imaging a respective section of the target surface .
  • the glass rods 262 are preferably about 2 mm in diameter and function as cylindrical lenses, and the emitting ends of the fiber-optic arrays 260 are each spaced about 1 mm from the respective rear cylinder surface in order to have the best "focus" at the target surface.
  • the aberrations will be relatively large, however, this is useful in smearing the illumination over a reasonably large patch of target surface .
  • each micro-lens 232 (or of each micro-lens in the pair 232, 234) is selected to adequately cover the thickest wire or like test object (or the smallest) for which the instrument is designed. For example, in the inspection of wires or cables, one instrument might be designed for relatively thick wires, and another for relatively thin wires. Each hand-held instrument is connectable by an electrical umbilical cord (not shown) in the manner described above with reference to FIG.
  • the handle (not shown) of the instrument 210 comprises either a plurality of ultrabright LEDs or semiconductor lasers (not shown) optically coupled to the input ends of the fiber-optic arrays 260 for illuminating the arrays.
  • the apparatus comprises four or eight LEDs, depending upon the illumination brightness needed. Each of the four modules is illuminated at a different frequency (e.g., 500, 800, 1100 and 1400 Hz) so that there is no cross-talk between viewing channels by reason of any inter-reflections within the instrument.
  • the handle of the instrument 210 also comprises four phototransistors 238 (not shown in FIG. 9) for detecting the reflected light transmitted by the four modules.
  • Op-amp circuits (not shown) of a type known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art are also mounted within the handle to amplify and frequency-discriminate the signals from the different modules.
  • the laser/LED sources will deliver about 1 milliwatt to each module, and therefore the optical signal reaching each phototransistor 238 will be greater than about 50 nanowatts. Accordingly, conventional IC components may be employed to amplify the signal into the millivolt range.
  • the various embodiments of the invention described above may be easily modified for conducting infrared inspection of a wire, cable or other target surface (hereinafter referred to as the "infrared inspection embodiment") .
  • the application of a steady current to a metal wire (or other electrically- conductive test object) having an insulative coating causes resistive heat to flow outwards and radiate away from the insulation's surface. Any sufficiently prominent flaw in the insulation, external or internal, which has an effective thermal conductivity different than that of the insulative coating, or which causes the effective path length from wire to surface to differ appreciably from the average value, will cause the steady-state surface temperature of the wire insulation to depart from its average value.
  • IR framing camera Viewing the surface of such a heating wire (or other test object) with an infrared (IR) framing camera of sufficient sensitivity will allow direct observation of such flaws, and provide information which can be used to estimate the spatial extent of the flaw.
  • the inspector's eye, or the visible- range camera may be replaced with an IR camera, and the IR camera may be coupled to a display, preferably an onboard color or black-and-white video screen.
  • the three (or four) views of the target surface are displayed on the video screen; however, it is the temperature differences from the average which are seen by the inspector.
  • Electric currents needed to produce sufficient heat flow will depend on the wire gauge (or test object thickness) , and will generally be near the upper limit of the safe current handling range for each gauge.
  • the allowable current for rubber- insulated 14 gauge flexible copper wire is about 15 amperes (which is the most conservative rating for a variety of insulation materials) .
  • the IR camera should have a relatively high absolute and differential temperature sensitivity. Such cameras, viewing in the 2-5 ⁇ m or 8-12 ⁇ m atmospheric windows, are readily available, with temperature sensitivities of 0.1 degrees C at ordinary body temperatures.
  • FIG. 10 a typical lamp/mirror assembly used for radiant heating of a straight wire section (at least over a few centimeters) is schematically illustrated in the meridional plane and indicated generally by the reference numeral 364.
  • Each lamp/mirror assembly 364 is mounted within an instrument, preferably of the types illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, in the manner described above, i.e., with the inspector's eye, or the visible-range camera replaced with an IR camera, and the IR camera coupled to a suitable display, such an on-board color or black-and- white video screen.
  • the preferred apparatus comprises three miniature tungsten lamps 366 (only one shown) fixedly mounted approximately 120 degrees relative to each other about the center of the wire (or the origin "0" of the apparatus).
  • Three relatively small, first- surface, off-axis, spherical mirrors 368 are each mounted adjacent to a respective lamp 366 and positioned to transfer visible radiation emitted by the lamp coils 370 to the vicinity of the leftmost
  • the axis of the wire (or other test object) coincides with the optical axis 314 of the apparatus, and as shown in FIG. 10, various wire (or other test object) radii s.I) (ranging from about 2 to 5 mm in this embodiment) are of interest.
  • the miniature tungsten bulb 366 is mounted above the largest Yg(I) of interest, with its cylindrical coil 370 oriented into the plane of the Figure, and arranged for illuminating (and heating) the leftmost edge of the desired viewing ⁇ region.
  • the coordinates (x,y) of the center of the coil 370 are (0,Yc) .
  • the small mirror 368 is mounted off- axis with its center of curvature at (X ⁇ Y ⁇ ) , with a tilt angle ⁇ jy[ with respect to the normal to the optical axis 314.
  • Light from the coil 370 which penetrates the bulb e.g., all wavelengths from the UV to below about ⁇ for a quartz bulb
  • Light from the coil 370 which penetrates the bulb e.g., all wavelengths from the UV to below about ⁇ for a quartz bulb
  • the right of the lamp into a magnified, relatively poor quality image of the coil located in the insulation or other target surface region of interest, as indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 10. Because of the mirror optics, all wavelengths (UV, visible, near IR) form the same coil image, and there are no chromatic aberrations .
  • the region of the target surface seen by the IR camera is selected to extend from the coil image further to the right in FIG. 10 on the order of 10 mm.
  • An aperture stop (not shown) prevents the IR camera (or inspector's eye) from seeing either the lamps 366 or mirrors 368; only the region to the right of the rough coil image (indicated in dashed lines) is of interest.
  • the optimum scanning speed equals and is opposite to the velocity of the thermal transient wave along the insulation or other target surface. That velocity, in turn, is a function of the IR camera's absolute and differential sensitivities.
  • the present inventors have observed optimum scanning speeds of the order of one to a few mm/sec when total lamp power (all three lamps) is of the order of 50 watts. Reducing lamp power reduces this optimum scan speed.
  • Increasing lamp power can overheat the insulation (or other target surface) in the time it spends (several seconds) passing the lamps (or vice-versa) .
  • FIG. 11 another apparatus embodying the present invention for conducting infrared inspection is indicated generally by the reference numeral 410.
  • the apparatus 410 is similar in many respects to the apparatus 10 and 110 described above, and therefore like reference numerals preceded by the numeral "4", or preceded by the numeral "4" instead of the numeral "1", are used to indicate like elements.
  • the primary difference of the apparatus 410 in comparison to the other infrared inspection embodiments described above, is that this embodiment employs a laser and appropriate auxiliary optics to form a circular band of radiant heat input around the circumference of the wire or other test object .
  • the collimated output from a laser source 466 is reflected from a cylindrical metal mirror 468, which creates a vertical fan of radiation moving upwards to a 45 degree laser-blocking, IR-transparent plane mirror 472.
  • the flat reflector 472 includes a laser-reflective strip 474, which in turn reflects the vertical fan of radiation onto the ⁇ 60 degrees double-mirror configuration 416, 420.
  • the fan of radiation is then further reflected by the +60 degrees double-mirror configuration 416, 420 to all sides of the target surface (having a diameter "D") .
  • the overlap of radiation in the 'A-type regions helps ensure roughly equal incident radiation levels on most of the circumferential arc.
  • the heated circular band has a width approximating the original laser beam diameter, which is preferably on the order of about 1 mm.
  • Laser light scattered from the target surface is prevented from reaching the IR-lens 412 and CCD 438 of the IR camera 426 by the interference-coating design of the 45 degree plane reflector 472, which thus also serves as a blocking filter.
  • a protective mask 476 also may be placed vertically in front of the camera's CCD 438 so that the central pixels will not accidentally be overloaded.
  • the IR camera 426 thus sees the three views of the wire (or other test object) surfaces in the same manner as described above, but only to the right and left of the irradiated circular band.
  • FIGS. 12 and 13 another apparatus embodying the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 510.
  • the apparatus 510 is the same in many respects as the apparatus 10 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3, and therefore like reference numerals preceded by the numeral "5" are used to indicate like elements.
  • the primary difference of the apparatus 510 is that the optical path is folded in an approximately z-shaped pattern to make the overall apparatus more compact .
  • the folding is accomplished by mounting two approximately parallel, first-surface flat mirrors, 578 and 580, optically coupled between the receiving lens 512 and first and second mirrors 516 and 520, respectively.
  • the wire or like target of a typical unfolded system (as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-3) is illustrated in broken lines.
  • the wire or like target is spaced a distance si straight across to the right of the receiving lens 512.
  • the distance si is approximately 250 mm and the field of view is defined by the distance h-h' .
  • the wire or like target is spaced a distance "H" above the original optical axis (14,114), but much closer to the right of the receiving lens 512.
  • the distance H is approximately 60 mm
  • the distance si' between the plane of the origin "0" of the target and the receiving lens 512 is approximately 120 mm.
  • the mirror 580 may slightly cut into the field of view h-h' , as shown in FIG. 12, it does not interfere with any of the rays coming from the second mirror 520 and hence no vignetting occurs .
  • the apparatus 510 of FIG. 12 defining the dimensions described above may be suitable for inspecting relatively large wires (e.g., up to 20 mm in diameter) .
  • the images of the target surface sections on the CCD and viewing screen might be sufficiently large for inspecting wires as small as about 10 mm in diameter.
  • the apparatus 510 further comprises means for moving at least one of the receiving lens 512 and the mirror 580 relative to each other along the optical axis, and means for rotating the mirror 580 about the optical axis.
  • this means includes at least one motor 582 drivingly connected to a translatable lens mount 584 and a rotatable mirror frame 586 upon which the mirror 580 is fixedly mounted.
  • the apparatus 510 includes additional mirrors 516', 520' and 578' mounted below, or otherwise angularly spaced relative to the corresponding mirrors 516, 520 and 578 of FIG. 12.
  • the mirrors 516', 520' and 578' are essentially the same as the corresponding mirrors of FIG. 12; however, as shown in FIG. 13, each mirror is spaced closer to the origin "0" than is the corresponding mirror of FIG. 12.
  • the word “lens” may denote a single element lens, a multi-element lens train with fixed focal length, or a multi-element lens train with variable focal length known in the pertinent art as a "zoom" lens.
  • the apparatus 510 preferably includes separate apertures or slots for receiving the wires or like targets.
  • the first aperture is larger in size than the second aperture, and is formed between the mirrors 516, 520 and 578 of FIG. 12 for receiving relatively larger diameter or larger sized wires or other test objects.
  • the second aperture is smaller in size than the first aperture, and is formed between the mirrors 516', 520' and 578' of FIG. 13 for receiving relatively smaller diameter or smaller sized wires or other test objects.
  • the translatable lens mount 584 and rotatable mirror frame 586 each may take any of numerous different configurations currently, or which may later become known to those skilled in the pertinent art for performing the functions described herein.
  • the translatable lens mount 584 may include a carriage fixedly holding the receiving lens 512 and mounted by bearings or otherwise slidably mounted on a track or like means for moving the receiving lens between first and second, or any of a plurality of different lens positions.
  • the carriage may be drivingly connected by any of numerous different gears or gear trains to the drive motor 582 for moving the lens into the desired positions.
  • the rotatable mirror frame 586 likewise may be drivingly connected to the motor 582 by any of numerous different types of gears or gear trains in order to rotatably drive the mirror 580 about the optical axis 114.
  • the motor 582 may be a small reversible DC motor geared to both rotate the mirror frame and shift the lens mount, or equally may take the form or configuration of any of numerous different motors which now or later become known to those skilled in the pertinent art.
  • the motor or motors may be eliminated, and the translatable lens mount and rotatable mirror frame may be shifted and rotated, respectively, by manual manipulation.
  • the mirror 580 may be rotated approximately 180° about the optical axis 114, and the receiving lens 512 shifted along the optical axis, each from a first position of FIG. 12 into a second position of FIG. 13, for magnifying the viewed images and thereby facilitating visual inspection of relatively small diameter wires or other target surfaces (e.g., wires having diameters of 10 mm or less) .
  • relatively small diameter wires or other target surfaces e.g., wires having diameters of 10 mm or less
  • the system's magnification is automatically increased such that a wire or like target having a diameter of about 8 mm will appear on the CCD ' s viewing screen to be about the same size as does a 20 mm target in the orientation of FIG. 12.
  • the receiving lens 512 and/or mirror 580 each can be moved to any desired point along the optical axis 114 to achieve the desired folding of the optical path.
  • the mirror 580 and receiving lens 512 are closer toward each other, the mirror is necessarily oriented at a lesser angle (i.e., flatter) relative to the optical axis 114 in order to capture and reflect the entire bundle of image rays.
  • the mirror 580 can be oriented either nearly but not exactly parallel to the optical axis, or nearly but not exactly perpendicular to the optical axis .
  • the angular orientations of the other mirrors 578, 516 and 520 are adjusted accordingly to image the surfaces of the wire or like targets in accordance with the teachings herein.
  • FIG. 14 another apparatus embodying the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 610.
  • the apparatus 610 is the same in many respects as the apparatus 10 and 510 described above, and therefore like reference numerals preceded by the numeral "6", or preceded by the numeral "6" instead of the numeral "5", are used to indicate like elements.
  • the primary difference of the apparatus 610 is that instead of having a single receiving lens and associated image detector, the apparatus 610 comprises a plurality of receiving lenses, 612A-612C, and a plurality of associated image detectors 624A-624C, wherein each receiving lens and image detector pair receives and generates an image of a respective surface section of the wire or other target surface to thereby generate the image pattern forming the 360° view of the target surface area.
  • the use of a single image detector as described above is highly economical, it may not always be possible to have a sufficient depth of field to obtain the desired resolution on all three images. Accordingly, employing a plurality of image detectors in the manner indicated may overcome this problem.
  • the plural detectors need not be TV-compatible 4:3 aspect ratio arrays, but rather may take the form, for example, of stripe arrays to more closely match the wire or other target images, and may transmit digital images directly to a CPU or like processor 658 for performing whatever type of image processing may be desired.
  • the first and second mirrors 616 and 620 respectively, may be spaced slightly further from the target than in the above-described embodiments to facilitate separate viewing of the upper right and lower right surface sections by the separate receiving lens and detector pairs .
  • FIG. 14 illustrates the arrangement of the lens and detector pairs when all focal lengths are the same, i.e., the distances s and s' are the same for each of the three "channels" .
  • the focal length (fl) of the central receiving lens 612A can be made shorter than that (f2) of the two outer receiving lenses, 612B and 612C, so that the three separate images may all be seen at the same magnification.
  • the central detector 624A may require a smaller pitch than the outer two in order to obtain three apparently equal image sizes.
  • the embodiment of FIG. 15 employs a variable focal length "zoom" lens and fixed focal length lenses.
  • image magnification might be adjusted to be 5X or 10X the actual size of the viewed object.
  • the object When projected on a typical 25-inch diagonal TV or like monitor, the object may typically be viewable at 20OX magnification.
  • the aperture f# stop and the illumination/brightness may each be adjusted independently of the magnification by simple external controls, thus making field use of this embodiment of the invention quick and easy.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne un appareil (510) et un procédé permettant de générer une vision sur 3600 d'une région de surface d'un objet (D) en trois dimensions, et permettant d'inspecter cette région de surface pour repérer des défauts et des imperfections. Un premier miroir (578')et une lentille de réception (12) définissent un axe (514) optique se prolongeant à travers l'objet, et une origine (O) située sur l'axe optique (514) dans l'objet et espacée d'une distance (S1') prédéterminée de cette lentille (512) de réception, de façon à générer une première image en deux dimensions de la surface avant de cet objet. Un deuxième miroir (516') permet de générer une deuxième image en deux dimensions d'une première section de surface arrière de cet objet, et un troisième miroir (520') permet de générer une troisième image en deux dimensions d'une seconde section de surface arrière de cet objet. Ces trois miroirs (578', 516, 520') sont agencés de façon à générer simultanément au moins trois images spatialement distinctes sans effet de vignette formant une vision sur 3600 de la région de surface.
PCT/US2000/015740 1997-10-28 2000-06-08 Appareil et procede permettant de visionner et d'inspecter une region de surface circonferencielle d'un objet Ceased WO2001094922A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/326,957 US6122045A (en) 1997-10-28 1999-06-07 Apparatus and method for viewing and inspecting a circumferential surface area of an object
PCT/US2000/015740 WO2001094922A1 (fr) 1997-10-28 2000-06-08 Appareil et procede permettant de visionner et d'inspecter une region de surface circonferencielle d'un objet
EP00939674A EP1287340A4 (fr) 2000-06-08 2000-06-08 Appareil et procede permettant de visionner et d'inspecter une region de surface circonferencielle d'un objet

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/959,387 US5936725A (en) 1997-10-28 1997-10-28 Apparatus and method for viewing and inspecting a circumferential surface area of a test object
US09/326,957 US6122045A (en) 1997-10-28 1999-06-07 Apparatus and method for viewing and inspecting a circumferential surface area of an object
PCT/US2000/015740 WO2001094922A1 (fr) 1997-10-28 2000-06-08 Appareil et procede permettant de visionner et d'inspecter une region de surface circonferencielle d'un objet

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EP1901030A3 (fr) * 2006-09-13 2010-06-23 Micro-Epsilon Optronic GmbH Agencement de mesure et procédé de détection de la surface d'objets
EP3637093A1 (fr) * 2018-10-10 2020-04-15 Goodrich Corporation Détection automatisée de défauts de câble métallique à l'aide de techniques de traitement d'images
EP4269988A1 (fr) * 2022-04-25 2023-11-01 Enscape Co., Ltd. Appareil d'inspection de l'aspect d'une batterie secondaire

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US4561778A (en) * 1982-05-28 1985-12-31 Harald Kleinhuber Apparatus for measuring the dimensions of cylindrical objects by means of a scanning laser beam
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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1901030A3 (fr) * 2006-09-13 2010-06-23 Micro-Epsilon Optronic GmbH Agencement de mesure et procédé de détection de la surface d'objets
EP3637093A1 (fr) * 2018-10-10 2020-04-15 Goodrich Corporation Détection automatisée de défauts de câble métallique à l'aide de techniques de traitement d'images
US11906445B2 (en) 2018-10-10 2024-02-20 Goodrich Corporation Automated defect detection for wire rope using image processing techniques
EP4269988A1 (fr) * 2022-04-25 2023-11-01 Enscape Co., Ltd. Appareil d'inspection de l'aspect d'une batterie secondaire
US12477207B2 (en) 2022-04-25 2025-11-18 Enscape Co., Ltd. Apparatus for inspecting appearance of secondary battery

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