2D vs 3D Vision: Which is right for your robotic application?
Don’t spend valuable resources on a machine vision guided robotics system before exploring which is right for your needs. Understanding benefits and limitations of different vision systems will give you the confidence to move towards the best solution for your application. From basic inspection to complex pick-and-place or random bin picking, robotic vision systems are becoming commonplace, but knowing the best solution for the job is not.
This white paper discusses:
2D machine vision systems work by generating flat, two-dimensional maps of reflected intensity (or contrast) which is then used to direct the robot. | ![]() 3D Vision 3D vision is used for any complex robotic task that needs to cope with diverse object shapes and orientations, and it can also be used to match parts with registered CAD models. |
Installing a vision system allows robots to react to variables in their environment and become much more productive. |
You should consider additional costs and complexity hiding outside of the vision hardware: extra programming, higher-quality data or components like end-of-arm tooling. |
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