DESC:BACKGROUND
[0001] Embodiments of the present specification relate generally to placement of components with curved surfaces in mechanical assemblies in an assembly line, and more particularly to systems and methods for real-time inspection of a correct placement of an object having a curved surface in a mechanical assembly.
[0002] Mechanical assemblies play a significant role in several industries such as machinery manufacturing, aerospace, automobiles, and the like. Hence, it is highly desirable that all the manufacturing units maximize yield, while minimizing discards due to defects. Some sources of the defects may include wrongly placed components, raw materials, processing equipment, processing technology, and the like. These defects may adversely impact the quality, safety, appearance, corrosion resistance, and/or fatigue strength of the manufactured assemblies. Accordingly, timely detection of any defects in the manufacturing process is essential to optimize yield while minimizing cost and rejects.
[0003] In a mechanical assembly, the order of assembly or disassembly of a product is very important. The order of assembly or disassembly aids in enhancing the manufacturing, maintenance, and/or repair procedures of the product. Typically, in a mechanical assembly, various components are positioned relative to one another. These components may have different shapes and sizes such as spherical, cylindrical, planar, and the like. One method of assembling the components in a mechanical assembly entails positioning the various components based on mating conditions. As will be appreciated, mating conditions provide definitions of positions and/or orientations of components relative to each other. In one example, the mating condition may provide an alignment of axis of two holes or distance of two faces from one another. In another example, the mating conditions may specify contact between pairs of planar, cylindrical, or spherical surfaces on adjacent parts.
[0004] Furthermore, in mechanical assemblies, particularly those involving objects or components having curved surfaces such as shims, precise identification of the placement of the components having curved surfaces is crucial for ensuring optimal performance, quality control, and safety of the resulting product. By way of example, the improper placement of the curved shims may disadvantageously result in warranty voids and negatively impact the overall performance of the mechanical assembly. Accordingly, inspection of the mechanical assembly plays a vital role in ensuring high quality in the manufacturing and/or assembly process.
[0005] Traditionally, inspectors manually examine the placement of the components to ensure quality control of the assembly process. However, the manual inspection entails arduous work by the inspectors and are time-consuming and prone to human error. Also, the inspection process is highly dependent on the skill level of the inspector, leading to defects being missed. Additionally, manually inspecting the placement of components, especially those having curved surfaces in real-time during the manufacturing and/or assembly process is a challenging task. Hence, it is desirable to accurately and efficiently assess, in real-time, the placement/orientation of components having curved surfaces in mechanical assemblies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0006] In accordance with aspects of the present specification, a system for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface is presented. The system includes a mounting table unit including a mounting table configured to support the object to facilitate inspection of the object having the curved surface,
a plurality of mounting pins disposed on the mounting table, where the plurality of mounting pins is configured to accommodate the object having the curved surface in a desired position. Furthermore, the system includes an illumination unit configured to illuminate the curved surface of the object disposed on the rotating mounting table to create reflections on the curved surface of the object. In addition, the system includes a camera unit configured to capture the reflections from the curved surface of the object. Moreover, the system includes an inspection system including an acquisition subsystem configured to receive the captured reflections from the curved surface of the object being inspected, a processing subsystem in operative association with the acquisition subsystem and including a curvature detection platform configured to process the captured reflections to identify, in real-time, a curvature of the object, and where to identify the curvature of the object the curvature detection platform is configured to partition the curved surface of the object into a plurality of equal regions, analyze the reflections from the curved surface of the object to identify a reflected area on curved surface of the object, determine the centroid of the reflected area, verify the placement of the object having the curved surface based on a location of the centroid of the reflected are. Also, the system includes an interface unit configured to provide, in real-time, the placement of the object having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.
[0007] In accordance with another aspect of the present specification, a method for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface is presented. The method includes providing a mounting table unit configured to support the object having the curved surface to facilitate inspection of the object, where the mounting table unit includes a rotating mounting table and a plurality of mounting pins disposed on the rotating mounting table, and where the plurality of mounting pins is configured to accommodate the object having the curved surface in a desired position. Furthermore, the method includes mounting one or more objects on the plurality of mounting pins. Moreover, the method includes illuminating the curved surface of the object disposed on the mounting table to create reflections on the curved surface of the object. In addition, the method includes capturing the reflections from the curved surface of the object. Also, the method includes processing the captured reflections to identify, in real-time, the placement of the curved surface of the object. Additionally, the method includes providing, in real-time, the placement of the object having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.
[0008] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present specification, an inspection system for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface is presented. The inspection system includes an acquisition subsystem configured to receive captured reflections from the curved surface of the object being inspected in response to impinging illumination. Further, the system includes a processing subsystem in operative association with the acquisition subsystem and including a curvature detection platform configured to process the captured reflections to identify, in real-time, a curvature of the object, and where to identify the curvature of the object the curvature detection platform is configured to partition the curved surface of the object into a plurality of equal regions, analyze the reflections from the curved surface of the object to identify a reflected area on the curved surface of the object, determine the centroid of the reflected area, determine coordinates of the centroid of the reflected area, identify a location of the centroid of the reflected area in one or more quadrants from the plurality of quadrants based on the coordinates of the centroid of the reflected area, if the coordinates of the centroid of the reflected area fall within the third quadrant or the fourth quadrant validate that curvature of the object is convex side facing up and determine that the placement of curved surface of the object is correct, if the coordinates of the centroid of the reflected area fall within any other quadrant validate that curvature of the object is concave side facing up and determine that the placement of curved surface of the object is incorrect, and communicate, in real-time, the placement of the object having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.

DRAWINGS
[0009] These and other features and aspects of embodiments of the present specification will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary system for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of the system for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present specification;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of the real-time identification of a curvature of an object having a curved surface to verify a correct placement of the object having the curved surface for use in the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present specification;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of the real-time identification of a curvature of an object having a curved surface to verify an incorrect placement of the object having the curved surface for use in the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present specification;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a real-time identification of a reflected area on an object having a curved surface for use in the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present specification;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for real-time identification of a curvature of an object having a curved surface to verify a correct placement of the object having the curved surface for use in the method of FIG. 6, in accordance with aspects of the present specification; and
[0017] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of a digital processing system implementing an inspection system 110 for use in the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present specification.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The following description presents exemplary systems and methods for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface. Particularly, embodiments described hereinafter present exemplary systems and methods that facilitate enhanced identification and quality control of the correct placement of components with curved surfaces in a mechanical assembly in an assembly line. These systems and methods enable the automated detection of the orientation of the curvature of the object having a curved surface being inspected, in real-time. In one example, the systems and methods presented hereinafter accurately and efficiently facilitate the automated detection of the correct or incorrect orientation of the curvature of the object having the curved surface, in real-time, by analyzing reflections from the curved surface of the object being inspected.
[0019] Use of the present systems and methods provides significant advantages in reliably providing significant enhancement in the quality of inspection of mechanical assemblies having components with curved surfaces and reducing rejects, thereby overcoming the drawbacks of currently available methods of inspection and detection of defects/anomalies in the manufacturing and/or assembly processes having these mechanical assemblies. Additionally, the present systems and methods provide an automated technique that accurately and efficiently assesses the orientation of the components having the curved surfaces in the mechanical assemblies, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the mechanical assemblies, while reducing rejects. More particularly, the systems and methods facilitate the determination of a correct orientation of components having curved surfaces in a mechanical assembly.
[0020] For ease of understanding, the exemplary embodiments of the present systems and methods are described in the context of an inspection system configured to provide enhanced real-time identification of placement of an object having a curved surface such as a shim in a mechanical assembly. However, use of the exemplary embodiments of the present systems and methods illustrated hereinafter in other systems and applications such as, but not limited to, verification of correct orientation of curved shims in automotive and aerospace components, accurate positioning of curved shims in structural elements, and the like is also contemplated. An exemplary environment that is suitable for practising various implementations of the present systems and methods is discussed in the following sections with reference to FIG. 1.
[0021] As used herein, the term “object” or “component” refers to an element that combines with other elements or parts to form a bigger entity such as a mechanical assembly or product. Also, as used herein, the term “object” or “component” refers to objects or components having curved surfaces. One example of the object having a curved surface includes a curved shim. Moreover, as used herein, the term “curvature” refers to a concept that measures how much a curve or surface deviates from being a straight line or plane. Additionally, as used herein, the term “convex” curvature may be used to describe shapes that curve outward. Further, as used herein, the term “concave” curvature may be used to describe shapes that curve inward. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “correct placement” of the object having a curved surface is used to refer to an orientation or placement of the object having a curvature with a convex side facing up. Similarly, as used herein, the term “incorrect placement” of the object having a curved surface is used to refer to an orientation or placement of the object having a curvature with a concave side facing up. Also, the terms, “placement,” “positioning,” and “orientation” may be used interchangeably.
[0022] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 for real-time inspection of a placement of an object 102 having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification. The system 100 is configured to facilitate real-time automated inspection of the correct placement of the object 102 in a mechanical assembly, for example. In one example, the object 102 having a curved surface may be representative of a curved shim. The term “object,” “component,” and “shim” may be used interchangeably.
[0023] It may be noted that in certain embodiments, the system 100 is configured to facilitate real-time inspection of the curved shim 102 as it is being placed in the mechanical assembly. Also, for ease of explanation, the system 100 is described with reference to the real-time inspection of a single curved shim 102. However, the system 100 may be configured to simultaneously inspect, in real-time, the placement of more than one curved shim 102. Reference numeral 102 generally refers to an object being monitored. In the present example, the object is representative of a curved shim 102. However, other objects having curved surfaces may also be inspected using the system 100.
[0024] In a presently contemplated configuration, the system 100 includes an inspection system 110. The inspection system 110 may be configured to monitor and inspect the curved shim 102 to identify, in real-time, a placement of the curved shim 102 in a mechanical assembly. More particularly, the inspection system 110 may be configured to facilitate the automated detection of the orientation of the curvature of the curved shim 102 being inspected, in real-time. In one example, the inspection system 110 may be configured to provide the automated detection of the correct or incorrect orientation of the curvature of the curved shim 102, in real-time, by analyzing reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected.
[0025] Furthermore, in one example, the system 100 may include a mounting table unit 104. The mounting table unit 104 may include a mounting table that is configured to support the curved shim 102 that is being inspected. Moreover, the mounting table is rotatable. Also, the mounting table unit 104 may include a plurality of mounting pins disposed on a surface of the mounting table. The plurality of mounting pins is configured to accommodate the placement of the curved shims 102 in a desired position. Also, the plurality of mounting pins is configured to hold the curved shims 102 in a desired position to facilitate inspection.
[0026] Furthermore, the system 100 may include an illumination unit 106. The illumination unit 106 is configured to optimally illuminate the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected as the curved shim 102 is rotated on the mounting table. In one embodiment, the illumination unit 106 may be strategically positioned to illuminate the curved surface of the shim 102 so as to create reflections on the curved surface of the shim 102. Some non-limiting examples of an illumination source for use in the illumination unit 106 include fluorescence, halogen, xenon lamp, light emitting diode (LED), and the like.
[0027] In addition, the system 100 may also include a camera unit 108. The camera unit 108 is configured to capture the reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected. In one example, the camera unit 108 is configured to capture the reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 based on light reflected from the curved surface and directed towards a field of view (FOV) of the camera unit 108. The camera unit 108 is configured to communicate the reflections captured from the curved surface of the shim 102 to the inspection system 110 for real-time inspection of the placement of the curved shim 102.
[0028] In accordance with aspects of the present specification, the inspection system 110 is configured to receive as input the captured reflections from the surface of the curved shim 102 being inspected and process the reflections to determine if the curved shim 102 has been positioned correctly or incorrectly. In particular, the inspection system 110 may be configured to analyze the reflections to determine the position of the reflections on the circumference of the curved shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. The inspection system 110 may be configured to determine whether the curved shim 102 is correctly positioned/oriented based on the determined position of the reflections from specific regions of the curved shim 102. In one example, the specific regions on the curved shim 102 may be correlated with the correct or incorrect placement of the curved shim 102.
[0029] Furthermore, in one embodiment, subsequent to the identification of the correct or incorrect placement of the curved shim 102, any information related to the correct or incorrect placement of the curved shim 102 and other relevant data may be communicated to an inspector or another processing system for further analysis or for storage and further processing to a computer 112 and/or a data repository. Additionally, the inspection system 110 may be plugged in between the camera feed and the workstation such as the computer 112 and may be configured to handle processing of the feed data on a real-time basis. The determination, in real-time, of the placement of curved shim 102 using the exemplary system 100 will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGs. 2-7.
[0030] As previously noted, currently, traditional methods of inspection rely on manual processes, thereby disadvantageously resulting in time-consuming and error-prone processes. Processing the reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 to ascertain the placement of the curved shim 102 in a mechanical assembly as described hereinabove advantageously results in an automated technique for determining, in real-time, if the curved shim 102 is positioned correctly or incorrectly.
[0031] Turning now to FIG. 2, one embodiment 200 of the system 100 of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present specification, is presented. In a presently contemplated configuration, the system 200 is configured to provide real-time inspection of placement of an object such as a curved shim as the curved shim 102 is positioned in a mechanical assembly. FIG. 2 is described with reference to the components of FIG. 1.
[0032] As depicted in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes a mounting table unit 104. In a presently contemplated configuration, the mounting table unit 104 includes a mounting table 202. The mounting table 202 is configured to support the curved shim 102 to facilitate the inspection of the curved shim 102. Further, the mounting table 202 may include a rotating mechanism (not shown) that is configured to rotate the mounting table 202. Rotating the mounting table 202 aids in illuminating the curved shim 102 from a plurality of angles, thereby enhancing the quality of inspection.
[0033] In addition, the mounting table unit 104 may include one or more mounting pins 204 disposed on a surface of the mounting table 202. These mounting pins 204 are configured to accommodate the curved shim 102 in a desired position. In one example, the curved shim 102 may be mounted on a mounting pin 204, where the mounting pin 204 may be configured to hold the curved shim 102 in the desired position. Moreover, in one embodiment, the mounting pins 204 may be arranged in a circular pattern on the mounting table 202 to facilitate uniform illumination of the curved surface of the shim 102. Other arrangements of the mounting pins 204 on the mounting table 202 are also contemplated. Also, in certain embodiments, each mounting pin 204 may include a piston 206 and a base 208. The curved shim 102 may be placed such the aperture in the curved shim 102 is disposed about the piston 206. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 210 is used to represent a curved shim 102 that is correctly placed on the mounting pin 204, while a curved shim 102 that is incorrectly placed on the mounting pin 204 is represented by reference numeral 212.
[0034] As noted hereinabove, the curved shim 210 may be representative of a correctly positioned curved shim, while the curved shim 212 is representative of an incorrectly positioned curved shim. Also, as previously noted, the correct placement of a curved shim such as the curved shim 210 includes positioning the curved shim 210 having a curvature with a convex side facing up. In a similar fashion, as used herein, the incorrect placement of a curved shim such as the curved shim 212 includes positioning the curved shim 212 having a curvature with a concave side facing up. However, in some other embodiments, the correct placement of the curved shim 102 may include positioning the curved shim 210 having a curvature with a concave side facing up, while the incorrect placement of the curved shim 102 may include positioning the curved shim 210 having a curvature with a convex side facing up. Other positions/orientations of the curved shims 102 are also envisaged.
[0035] Additionally, the system 200 includes an illumination unit 106 configured to optimally illuminate the curved surface of the shim 102 disposed on the rotating mounting table 202. Rotating the mounting table 202 having the curved shim 102 disposed thereon aids in illuminating the curved shim 102 from a plurality of angles.
[0036] Reference numeral 214 is used to represent the light or illumination from the illumination unit 106 that is oriented towards the shim 102 to illuminate the curved surface of the shim 102. In particular, the illumination unit 106 is configured to illuminate the curved shim 102 from a plurality of angles to create reflections on the curved surface of the shim 102 as the curved shim 102 is rotated.
[0037] Further, the illumination unit 106 may include one or more illumination or lighting sources that are configured to orient light towards the curved shim 102 to adequately illuminate the curved shim 102 to enable enhanced imaging and/or inspection of the curved surface of the shim 102 and creation of reflections on the curved surface of the shim 102. Some non-limiting examples of a light source include fluorescence, halogen, xenon lamp, light emitting diode (LED), a laser beam, and the like.
[0038] In accordance with aspects of the present specification, the illumination unit 106 may be strategically positioned to illuminate the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected. In one embodiment, the illumination unit 106 may be oriented at an acute angle with respect to the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected to provide optimal illumination. Additionally, in accordance with aspects of the present specification, the orientation of the illumination unit 106 and/or an intensity of the illumination unit 106 are configurable to optimize the reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 based on a material of the curved shim 102 and/or surface characteristics of the curved shim 102.
[0039] Furthermore, the system 200 also includes a camera such as the camera unit 108. It may be noted that the terms “camera unit” and “camera” may be used interchangeably. In accordance with further aspects of the present specification, the relative positions of the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 with reference to the mounting table 202 may be configurable to optimize the real-time inspection of the placement of the curved shim 102 in the mechanical assembly. In one embodiment, the relative positions of the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 may be fixed with respect to the rotating mounting table 202. Accordingly, this fixed positioning of the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 with respect to the rotating mounting table 202 results in reflection areas from specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 102, where the specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 102 may be correlated with a correct placement or an incorrect placement of the curved surface of the shim 102.
[0040] In one embodiment, the camera unit 108 is configured to capture reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected as the curved shim 102 is rotated and illuminated by the illumination unit 106 from a plurality of angles. Reference numeral 216 is used to refer to the reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102. In one example, any light oriented by the illumination unit 106 onto the curved surface of the shim 102 may be reflected off the curved surface of the shim 102 and directed towards a field of view (FOV) of the camera unit 108. Subsequent to the receipt of the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102, the camera unit 108 may be configured to generate a video of the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected as the curved shim 102 is rotated and illuminated based on the reflections 216. In particular, the video may be generated based on the reflections 216 captured from the curved surface of the shim 102. This video of the curved surface of the shim 102 may be processed to determine the placement of curved shim 102 in the mechanical assembly. Moreover, the camera unit 108 may be configured to communicate the video to an inspection system 110. Additionally or alternatively, the camera unit 108 may be configured to generate images based on the reflections 216 captured from the curved surface of the shim 102 and communicate the images to an inspection system 110.
[0041] Moreover, as depicted in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the system 200 includes an inspection system 110. In accordance with aspects of the present specification, the inspection system 110 is configured to receive as input the video of the curved surface of the shim 102 and/or the images corresponding to the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected and process the video/images to determine, in real-time, if the curved shim 102 is correctly positioned. In a presently contemplated configuration, the inspection system 110 includes an acquisition subsystem 218 and a processing subsystem 220.
[0042] The acquisition subsystem 218 is configured to receive the video and/or images of the curved surface of the shim 102 from the camera unit 108. If the video of the curved surface of the shim 102 is received from the camera unit 108, the acquisition subsystem 218 is configured to obtain one or more image frames from the video. Further, the acquisition subsystem 218 is configured to communicate the image frames to the processing subsystem 220 for further processing. It may be noted that in one embodiment, the acquisition subsystem 218 may be configured to directly obtain the video from the camera unit 108. However, in certain other embodiments, the acquisition subsystem 218 may obtain the video capture from a storage such as a data repository 228, an optical data storage article such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a Blu-ray disc, and the like.
[0043] Once the image frames obtained from the video capture corresponding to the curved surface of the shim 102 are received from the acquisition subsystem 218, the processing subsystem 220 is configured to process the image frames to identify a placement of the curved shim 102 on the mounting pin 204 positioned on the mounting table 202. In a non-limiting example, the processing subsystem 220 may include one or more application-specific processors, digital signal processors, microcomputers, graphical processing units, microcontrollers, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Programmable Logic Arrays (PLAs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FGPAs), and/or any other suitable processing devices. In alternative embodiments, the processing subsystem 220 may be configured to retrieve the image frames/video capture from the data repository 228. The data repository 228 may include a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a read/write CD, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, a flash drive, a solid-state storage device, a local database, and the like.
[0044] In addition, the examples, demonstrations, and/or process steps performed by certain components of the system 200 such as the processing subsystem 220 may be implemented by suitable code on a processor-based system, where the processor-based system may include a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer. Also, different implementations of the present specification may perform some or all of the steps described herein in different orders or substantially concurrently.
[0045] In a presently contemplated configuration, the processing subsystem 220 is depicted as including a curvature detection platform 222. The processing subsystem 220 is configured to process the image frames to identify the placement of the curved shim 102, in real-time. It may be noted that other implementations of the processing subsystem 220 are also contemplated.
[0046] It may be noted that although the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 depicts the processing subsystem 220 as including the curvature detection platform 222, in some embodiments, the curvature detection platform 222 may be employed as a standalone unit that is physically separate from the processing subsystem 220 and/or the inspection system 110. Also, in some embodiments, the curvature detection platform 222 may be integrated into end user systems such as, but not limited to, an edge device, such as a phone or a tablet.
[0047] The curvature detection platform 222 is configured to accurately and efficiently assess, in real-time, the orientation of the curved surface of the shim 102 in a mechanical assembly by analyzing the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected. More particularly, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to analyze the image frames corresponding to the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 to determine if the placement of the curved shim 102 is correct or incorrect based on the positioning of the curvature of the curved shim 102. In accordance with aspects of the present specification, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine if the curved shim 102 has been oriented correctly or incorrectly based on a position of reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108.
[0048] As previously noted, in one embodiment, the correct placement of a curved shim 102 as indicated by the curved shim 210 includes positioning the curved shim 210 having a curvature with a convex side facing up. Similarly, the incorrect placement of a curved shim 102 as depicted by the curved shim 212 includes positioning the curved shim 212 having a curvature with a concave side facing up. Accordingly, to determine if the curved shim 102 is correctly positioned or oriented, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine if the curvature of the curved shim 102 is with the convex side facing up.
[0049] In accordance with exemplary aspects of the present specification, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to detect and analyze the reflections 216 from curved surface of the shim 102 to accurately interpret or determine the convexity of the curved shim 102 from the reflection patterns. In particular, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine whether the curved shim 102 is correctly placed or not based on the position of these reflections 216 on the circumference of the curved shim 102, relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. Specifically, the position of these reflections 216 on the circumference of the curved shim 102, relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 may be analyzed by the curvature detection platform 222 to determine whether the curved shim 102 has a convex curvature facing up or a concave curvature facing up. The determination of the orientation of the curvature of the curved shim 102 will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGs. 3-5.
[0050] Furthermore, as noted hereinabove, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine if the curved shim 102 has been oriented correctly or incorrectly based on a position of the reflections 216 on the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. It may be noted that in accordance with aspects of the present specification, the relative positions of the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 are fixed with respect to the rotating mounting table 202. This positioning of the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 with respect to the rotating mounting table 202 results in reflection areas from specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 210. The specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 210 may be correlated with a correct placement or an incorrect placement of the curved surface of the shim 210, in accordance with aspects of the present specification.
[0051] Accordingly, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to identify the reflected areas on the curved surface of the shim 210 and correlate the identified reflected areas to the correct or incorrect placement of the shim 210. In one embodiment, to correlate the identified reflected areas to the correct or incorrect placement of the shim 210, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify if the reflected area is a near reflected surface area or a far reflected surface area on the curved surface of the shim 210. Further, in one example, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify if the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include far surface reflections or near surface reflections. If the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 include far surface reflections, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 102 is convex side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 102 is correctly oriented in the mechanical assembly. In a similar fashion, if the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 include near surface reflections, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 102 is concave side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 102 is incorrectly oriented in the mechanical assembly. The analysis of the reflections 216 by the curvature detection platform 222 to enable the identification of the curvature of the curved shim 102 to determine the correct or incorrect placement of the curved shim 102 in a mechanical assembly will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGs. 3-5.
[0052] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation 300 of an exemplary embodiment of the real-time identification of a curvature of an object having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification. More particularly, FIG. 3 depicts the verification by the curvature detection platform 222 if the curved shim 102 is correctly oriented in a mechanical assembly based on reflections from a far surface of the curved shim 102. FIG. 3 is described with reference to the components of FIGs. 1-2.
[0053] As depicted in FIG. 3, the curved shim 210 is mounted on the mounting pin 204 having a piston 206 and a base 208. As previously noted, the mounting pin having the curved shim 210 disposed thereon is positioned on a rotating mounting table 202. Furthermore, the rotating curved shim 210 is illuminated by the illumination unit 106 from a plurality of angles and any reflections from the curved surface of the shim 210 are captured by the camera unit 108. Reference numeral 302 is generally representative of the light or illumination from the illumination unit 106, while the reflections from the curved surface of the shim 210 are represented by reference numeral 304.
[0054] In accordance with aspects of the present specification, it is desirable to determine if the curved shim 102 is correctly oriented or positioned on the mounting pin 204 with a curvature having a convex side facing up. In accordance with aspects of the present specification, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine if the curved shim 210 has been oriented correctly or incorrectly based on a position of the reflections 304 from the curved surface of the shim 210 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. To that end, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to verify if the reflections 304 from the curved surface of the shim 210 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include far surface reflections or near surface reflections.
[0055] In the example depicted in FIG. 3, to determine the position of the reflections 304 from the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to detect a reflection area on the curved surface of the shim 210. The reflection area on the curved surface of the shim 210 represents a bright area 306 on the curved surface of the shim 210 where the illumination 302 from the illumination unit 106 strikes the curved surface of the shim 210. Similarly, an area on the curved surface of the shim 210 that is not illuminated by the illumination 302 from the illumination unit 106 is representative of a dark area or a shadow area 308 on the curved surface of the shim 210. The detection of the reflection area or bright area 306 on the curved surface of the shim 210 by the curvature detection platform 222 is described with reference to FIG. 5.
[0056] Referring now to FIG. 5, a schematic representation 500 of an exemplary embodiment of the real-time identification of a reflected area on an object having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification, is presented. More particularly, FIG. 5 depicts the verification by the curvature detection platform 222 if the curved shim 102 is correctly or incorrectly oriented in a mechanical assembly based on reflections from a far surface or a near surface of the curved shim 102. Reference numeral 500 represents a top view of the shim 210 of FIG. 3 or a top view of the shim 212 of FIG. 4. Also, FIG. 5 is described with reference to the components of FIGs. 1-3.
[0057] To facilitate the detection of the reflected area 306 of FIG. 3 on the curved surface of the shim 210, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to partition the curved surface of the shim 210 into a plurality of equal regions. In one non-limiting example, the curved surface of the shim 210 may be divided into four (4) quadrants. Reference numeral 502 represents a first quadrant, while a second quadrant is represented by reference numeral 504. Similarly, a third quadrant is represented by reference numeral 506, while reference numeral 508 represents a fourth quadrant. It may be noted that other forms of partitioning the curved surface of the shim 210 are also contemplated.
[0058] Subsequently, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to analyze the reflections 304 from the curved surface of the shim 210 to identify a reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 210. In one non-limiting example, to identify the reflected area 510 on the curved surface the shim 210, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to apply a threshold to the reflections 304 from the curved surface the shim 210 to identify the bright area 510 such as the bright area 306 of FIG. 3 on the curved surface of the shim 210. Use of other image processing techniques for identifying the bright area 510 is contemplated. This bright area is representative of the reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 210. Other methods of identifying the bright or reflected area 510 are also anticipated.
[0059] Once the reflected area 510 is identified on the curved surface of the shim 210, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine a relative position of the reflected area 510 on the circumference of the curved surface of the shim 210 with reference to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 to identify a placement of the curved surface of the shim 210. To that end, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 210. As will be appreciated, the centroid of an area is the geometric center of a two-dimensional area or an average position of all the points on the area.
[0060] As previously noted, specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 210 may be correlated with a correct placement or an incorrect placement of the curved surface of the shim 210 in a mechanical assembly. In the example embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify if the reflected area 510 is a near reflected surface area or a far reflected surface area on the shim 210, in accordance with aspects of the present specification. Further, in the example depicted in FIG. 3 having the curved shim 210, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify if the reflections 304 from the curved surface of the shim 210 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include far surface reflections. If it is determined that the reflections 304 from the curved surface of the shim 210 include far surface reflections, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 210 is convex side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 210 is correctly oriented in the mechanical assembly.
[0061] In order to validate that the curvature of the shim 210 is convex side facing up, in one embodiment, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify the placement/orientation of the curved surface of the shim 210 based on the reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 210. In one embodiment, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify the placement/orientation of the curved surface of the shim 210 based on a location of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510. Accordingly, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to determine the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510. Subsequently, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to identify a location of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 in one or more quadrants of the plurality of quadrants 502, 504, 506, 508 based on the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510. In particular, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to identify one or more quadrants of the plurality of quadrants 502, 504, 506, 508 corresponding to the coordinates of the centroid 512.
[0062] Once the quadrants corresponding to the coordinates of the centroid 512 are identified, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate the placement/orientation of the curved shim 210. In one non-limiting example, if the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 fall within the third quadrant 506 or the fourth quadrant 508, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify that the reflections 304 are from the curved surface of the shim 210 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include far surface reflections. Consequently, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 210 is convex side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 210 is correctly oriented in the mechanical assembly. The validation of the correct placement of the curved shim 210 may be communicated to the computer 114 and/or an inspector for further analysis.
[0063] With returning reference to FIG. 3, consequent to the processing described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 by the curvature detection platform 222, a correct orientation of the curved shim 210 may be identified.
[0064] Turning now to FIG. 4, a schematic representation 400 of an exemplary embodiment of the real-time identification of a curvature of an object having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification, is presented. Specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates the verification by the curvature detection platform 222 if the curved shim 102 is incorrectly oriented in a mechanical assembly based on reflections from a near surface of the curved shim 102. FIG. 4 is described with reference to the components of FIGs. 1-3.
[0065] The curved shim 212 is mounted on the mounting pin 204 having a piston 206 and a base 208, as depicted in FIG. 4. As previously noted, the mounting pin 204 having the curved shim 212 disposed thereon is positioned on a rotating mounting table 202. The rotating curved shim 212 is illuminated by the illumination unit 106 from a plurality of angles and any reflections from the curved surface of the shim 212 are captured by the camera unit 108. Reference numeral 402 is generally representative of the light or illumination from the illumination unit 106, while the reflections from the curved surface of the shim 212 is represented by reference numeral 404.
[0066] In the example depicted in FIG. 4, it is desirable to determine if the curved shim 212 is positioned on the mounting pin 204 with a curvature having a concave side facing up, hence validating the incorrect placement of the curved shim 212. Further, in the example of FIG. 4, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine if the curved shim 212 has been oriented incorrectly based on a position of the reflections 404 from the curved surface of the shim 212 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. Accordingly, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to verify if the reflections 404 from the curved surface of the shim 212 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include near surface reflections or far surface reflections.
[0067] To determine whether of the reflections 404 from the curved surface of the shim 212 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include near surface reflections or far surface reflections, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to detect a reflection area on the curved surface of the shim 212. The reflection area on the curved surface of the shim 212 is generally representative of a bright area 406 on the curved surface of the shim 212 where the illumination 402 from the illumination unit 106 strikes the curved surface of the shim 212. In a similar fashion, an area on the curved surface of the shim 212 that is not illuminated by the illumination 402 from the illumination unit 106 is representative of a dark area or a shadow area 408 on the curved surface of the shim 212. The detection of the reflection area or bright area 406 on the curved surface of the shim 212 is described with reference to FIG. 5.
[0068] Referring again to FIG. 5, a schematic representation 500 of an exemplary embodiment of the real-time identification of a reflected area on an object having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification, is presented. FIG. 5 depicts the verification by the curvature detection platform 222 if the curved shim 212 is correctly or incorrectly oriented in a mechanical assembly based on reflections from a far surface or a near surface of the curved shim 212. Reference numeral 500 represents a top view of the shim 212 of FIG. 4.
[0069] In order to facilitate the detection of the reflection area on the curved surface of the shim 212, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to partition the curved surface of the shim 212 into a plurality of equal regions, as depicted in FIG. 5. In one non-limiting example, the curved surface of the shim 212 may be divided into four (4) quadrants. As previously noted, reference numerals 502, 504, 506, 508 respectively represent a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant. Other forms of partitioning the curved surface of the shim 212 are also contemplated.
[0070] Subsequently, to identify a reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 212, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to analyze the reflections 404 from the curved surface of the shim 212. In one embodiment, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to apply a threshold to the reflections 404 from the curved surface the shim 212 to identify a bright area 510 such as the bright area 406 of FIG. 4 on the curved surface of the shim 212. This bright area is representative of the reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 212. Use of other image processing methods of identifying the bright area 510 is also anticipated.
[0071] Once the reflected area 510 is identified on the curved surface of the shim 212, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine a relative position of the reflected area 510 on the circumference of the curved surface of the shim 212 with reference to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the curvature detection platform 222 is configured to determine the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 212. As will be appreciated, the centroid of an area is the geometric center of a two-dimensional area or an average position of all the points on the area.
[0072] Moreover, as previously noted, specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 212 may be correlated with a correct placement or an incorrect placement of the curved surface of the shim 212 in a mechanical assembly. Specifically, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify if the reflected area 510 is a near reflected surface area or a far reflected surface area, in one embodiment. Further, in the example depicted in FIG. 4 having the shim 212, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify if the reflections 404 from the curved surface of the shim 212 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include near surface reflections, in accordance with aspects of the present specification. If it is verified that the reflections 404 from the curved surface of the shim 212 include near surface reflections, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 212 is concave side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 212 is incorrectly oriented in the mechanical assembly.
[0073] Furthermore, in order to validate that the curvature of the shim 212 is concave side facing up, in one embodiment, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify the placement/orientation of the curved surface of the shim 212 based on the reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 212. The curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify the placement/orientation of the curved surface of the shim 210 based on a location of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510, in one embodiment. Accordingly, the curvature detection platform 222 may also be configured to determine the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510. Subsequently, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to identify a location of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 in one or more quadrants of the plurality of quadrants 502, 504, 506, 508 based on the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510. Specifically, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to identify one or more quadrants of the plurality of quadrants 502, 504, 506, 508 corresponding to the coordinates of the centroid 512.
[0074] Once the quadrants corresponding to the coordinates of the centroid 512 are identified, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate the placement or orientation of the curved shim 212. In one non-limiting example, if the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 fall within any quadrant other than the third quadrant 506 or the fourth quadrant 508, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify that the reflections 404 from the curved surface of the shim 212 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include near surface reflections. Consequently, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 212 is concave side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 212 is incorrectly oriented in the mechanical assembly. The validation of the incorrect placement of the curved shim 212 may be communicated to the computer 114 and/or an inspector for further analysis.
[0075] With returning reference to FIG. 4, consequent to the processing described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 by the curvature detection platform 222, an incorrect orientation of the curved shim 212 may be identified.
[0076] Referring again to FIG. 2, the inspection system 110 may include a display 224 and a user interface 226. The display 224 and the user interface 226 may overlap in some embodiments such as a touch screen. Further, in some embodiments, the display 224 and the user interface 226 may include a common area. The display 224 may be configured to visualize or present the identified placement/orientation of the shims 210, 212, the curvature of the shims 210, 212, the reflected area 510, the coordinates of the centroid 512, the location of the centroid 512, and the like. In certain other embodiments, identified placement/orientation of the shims 210, 212, the curvature of the shims 210, 212, the reflected area 510, the coordinates of the centroid 512, the location of the centroid 512, and the like may be stored in a local data repository 228, a remote data repository, cloud, and the like.
[0077] The user interface 226 of the inspection system 110 may include a human interface device (not shown) that is configured to aid a user such as an inspector in providing inputs or manipulating the identified placement/orientation of the shims 210, 212, the curvature of the shims 210, 212, the reflected area 510, the coordinates of the centroid 512, the location of the centroid 512, and the like visualized on the display 224. The user interface 226 may be used to add labels and/or annotations to the information visualized on the display 224. In certain embodiments, the human interface device may include a trackball, a joystick, a stylus, a mouse, or a touch screen. It may be noted that the user interface 226 may be configured to aid the user in navigating through the inputs and/or outcomes/indicators generated by the inspection system 110.
[0078] The system 200 as described hereinabove provides an automated framework for identifying and controlling the correct placement of a component with curved surfaces such as a curved shim in a mechanical assembly in an assembly line. In addition, the system 200 enables the determination and validation of a correct orientation of a shim having a curved surface, where the correct orientation includes a convex side facing up. Moreover, implementing the system 200 as described hereinabove allows the precise identification and enhanced quality control of placement of curved components in mechanical assemblies in an assembly line, thereby ensuring optimal performance and safety of the mechanical assemblies. The automated system 200 for real-time inspection of the placement of the shim 102 having a curved surface is configured to accurately and efficiently assess the orientation and quality of curved surfaces in mechanical components, thereby circumventing the shortcomings of the currently prevailing manual inspection processes that are time-consuming and prone to human error and oversight. Additionally, the system 200 presents a unique technique of analyzing reflection patterns to accurately interpret an orientation of the shim 102. In particular, the system 200 computes the position of the reflection on the surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 and deduces the orientation of the curved surface of the shim 102 such as a convexity or a concavity of the shim 102 based on a position of the position of the reflection on the surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108.
[0079] Furthermore, the system 200 as described herein is specifically designed to address the unique requirement of placing objects having curved surfaces in mechanical assemblies. Specifically, the system 200 revolutionizes the identification and validation of quality control of the orientation of shims having curved surfaces within mechanical assemblies by facilitating real-time analysis of reflections from the curved surfaces of the shims. The system 200 for determining in real-time the correct orientation of objects having curved surfaces presents a targeted and comprehensive approach to ensure the quality of orientation of objects having curved surfaces such as curved shims within mechanical assemblies.
[0080] Embodiments of the exemplary methods of FIGs. 6-7 may be described in a general context of computer executable instructions on computing systems or a processor. Generally, computer executable instructions may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types.
[0081] Moreover, the embodiments of the exemplary methods may be practised in a distributed computing environment where optimization functions are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a wired and/or wireless communication network. In the distributed computing environment, the computer executable instructions may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.
[0082] In addition, in FIGs. 6-7, the exemplary methods are illustrated as a collection of blocks in a logical flow chart, which represents operations that may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. It may be noted that the various operations are depicted in the blocks to illustrate the functions that are performed. In the context of software, the blocks represent computer instructions that, when executed by one or more processing subsystems, perform the recited operations.
[0083] Moreover, the order in which the exemplary methods are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described blocks may be combined in any order to implement the exemplary methods disclosed herein, or equivalent alternative methods. Further, certain blocks may be deleted from the exemplary methods or augmented by additional blocks with added functionality without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.
[0084] Turning to FIG. 6, a flow chart 600 for real-time inspection of a placement of an object having a curved surface, in accordance with aspects of the present specification, is presented. In particular, the method 600 entails real-time monitoring and inspection of the placement of an object having a curved surface such as a curved shim in a mechanical assembly. The method 600 of FIG. 6 is described with reference to the components of FIGs. 1-5. Moreover, in certain embodiments, the method 600 may be performed by the inspection system 110 and the curvature detection platform 222 in particular.
[0085] As depicted in FIG. 6, at step 602, a mounting table unit 104 is provided. The mounting table unit 104 includes a mounting table 202 and a plurality of mounting pins 204 disposed thereon. The mounting table 202 is configured to support the curved shim 102 to facilitate the inspection of the curved shim 102. Moreover, the mounting table 202 is rotatable and aids in illuminating the curved shim 102 from a plurality of angles. Also, the plurality of mounting pins 204 is configured to hold the curved shim 102 in a desired position.
[0086] Furthermore, at step 604, one or more objects such as curved shims 102, 210, 212 may be mounted on the mounting pins 204 that are arranged on the mounting table 202. Subsequently, as indicated by step 606, the illumination unit 106 is used to illuminate 214 a surface of the curved shim 102. As previously noted, since the curved shim 102 is positioned on the rotating mounting table 202, the curved shim 102 is illuminated from a plurality of angles by the illumination unit 106.
[0087] As will be appreciated, any light illuminating a surface of an object results in reflections in response to the light impinging on the surface of the object. Accordingly, the illumination 214 from the illumination unit 106 striking the curved surface of the shim 102 results in reflections 216 from the surface of the curved shim 102. The camera unit 108 is configured to capture the reflections 216 from the surface of the curved shim 102 being inspected, as depicted by step 608. Reference numeral 610 is used to generally represent the reflections captured by the camera unit 108.
[0088] In accordance with exemplary aspects of the present specification, the captured reflections 610 are analyzed and processed to determine the placement or orientation of the curved surface of the shim 102 in a mechanical assembly, as indicated by step 612. To that end, the camera unit 108 may be configured to generate a video based on the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 being inspected as the curved shim 102 is rotated and illuminated. This video of the curved surface of the shim 102 may be processed by the curvature detection platform 222 to determine the placement of curved shim 102 in the mechanical assembly. In one embodiment, one or more image frames may be obtained from the video capture corresponding to the curved surface of the shim 102. These image frames may be processed to identify a placement of the curved shim 102 in the mechanical assembly.
[0089] With continuing reference to step 612, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to accurately and efficiently assess the orientation of the curved surface of the shim 102 in a mechanical assembly based on the positioning of the curvature of the curved shim 102. In particular, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to determine if the curved shim 102 has been oriented correctly or incorrectly based on a position of reflections from the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. Step 612 will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 7. Once the orientation of the curved shim 102 is determined, the placement of the curved surface of the shim 102 may be communicated to an inspector, as indicated by step 614.
[0090] FIG. 7 is a flow chart 700 illustrating a method for real-time identification of a curvature of an object having a curved surface to verify a correct placement of the object having the curved surface for use in the method of FIG. 6, in accordance with aspects of the present specification. In particular, the method 700 of FIG. 7 entails processing reflections from a curved surface of the shim to determine a curvature of the curved shim. Specifically, FIG. 7 describes in greater detail step 612 of FIG. 6, where a correct orientation or placement of the curved shim may be validated based on the determined curvature of the shim. The method 700 is described with reference to the components of FIGs. 1-6. Also, in certain embodiments, the method 700 may be performed by the inspection system 110 and the curvature detection platform 222 in particular.
[0091] Reflections 610 captured from the curved surface of the shim 102 may be provided as input to the method 700. In one embodiment, the input to the method 700 may include a video capture representing the reflections 610. Additionally or alternatively, the input to the method 700 may include one or more image frames obtained from the video capture representing the reflections 610 or obtained directly by the camera unit 108.
[0092] As previously noted, in one embodiment, the correct placement of a curved shim 102 includes positioning a curved shim such as the curved shim 210 having a curvature with a convex side facing up, while the incorrect placement of the curved shim 102 includes positioning a curved shim such as the curved shim 212 having a curvature with a concave side facing up. Accordingly, to determine if the curved shim 102 is correctly positioned or oriented, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to determine if the curvature of the curved shim 102 is with the convex side facing up.
[0093] Accordingly, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to detect and analyze the reflections 216 from curved surface of the shim 102 to accurately interpret or determine the convexity of the curved shim 102 based on the reflection patterns. In particular, the position of these reflections 216 on the circumference of the curved shim 102, relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108, may be employed to determine whether the curved shim 102 is correctly placed or not. Moreover, since the relative positions of the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 are fixed with respect to the rotating mounting table 202, this fixed positioning of the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 with respect to the rotating mounting table 202 results in reflection areas from specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 102, where the specific regions on the curved surface of the shim 102 may be correlated with a correct placement or an incorrect placement of the curved surface of the shim 102.
[0094] In order to facilitate the determination of the orientation of the curved shim 102, the curved surface of the shim 102 may be partitioned into a plurality of equal regions, as indicated by step 702. In one example, the curved surface of the shim 102 may be partitioned into four quadrants 502, 504, 506, 508.
[0095] Furthermore, at step 704, a reflected area on the curved surface of the shim 102 may be identified to facilitate determining the position of the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108. Accordingly, the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 may be analyzed to identify a reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 102. The reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 102 represents a bright area 306, 406 on the curved surface of the shim 102 where the illumination 214 from the illumination unit 106 strikes the curved surface of the shim 102. Similarly, an area on the curved surface of the shim 102 that is not illuminated by the illumination 214 from the illumination unit 106 is representative of a dark area or a shadow area 308, 408 on the curved surface of the shim 102. In one example, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to apply a threshold to the reflections 216 from the curved surface the shim 102 to identify the bright area 306, 406 on the curved surface of the shim 102. Use of other image processing methods for identifying the bright areas 306, 406 on the curved surface of the shim 102 is also contemplated. Other methods of identifying the bright or reflected area are also anticipated.
[0096] Subsequently, the identified reflected areas may be correlated to the correct or incorrect placement of the curved shim 102. Accordingly, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to determine if the reflected area is a near reflected surface area or a far reflected surface area. In addition, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to verify if the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include far surface reflections or near surface reflections. If it is determined that the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 include far surface reflections, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 102 is convex side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 102 is correctly oriented in the mechanical assembly. In a similar fashion, if the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 include near surface reflections, the curvature detection platform 222 may be configured to validate that the curvature of the shim 102 is concave side facing up and hence determine that the curved shim 102 is incorrectly oriented in the mechanical assembly.
[0097] Once the reflected area is identified on the curved surface of the shim 102, a relative position of the reflected area on the circumference of the curved surface of the shim 210 with reference to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 may be determined. To that end, at step 706, the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 on the curved surface of the shim 102 may be determined. Additionally, the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 may also be determined.
[0098] Furthermore, as indicated by step 708, a location of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510 with reference to the plurality of quadrants 502, 504, 506, 508 may be determined based on the coordinates of the centroid 512 of the reflected area 510. In particular, one or more quadrants of the plurality of quadrants corresponding to the coordinates of the centroid 512 may be identified.
[0099] Once the quadrants corresponding to the coordinates of the centroid are identified, a check may be carried out to verify if the centroid is located in a desired position, as indicated by step 710. In one example, the desired position of the location of the centroid may include the third quadrant 506 and the fourth quadrant 508. Accordingly, at step 710, if it is determined that the coordinates of the centroid of the reflected area fall within the third quadrant or the fourth quadrant, it may be confirmed that the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 210 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include far surface reflections. Consequently, it may be validated that the curvature of the shim 102 is convex side facing up, as depicted by step 712. Subsequently, it may be determined that the curved shim 102 is correctly oriented in the mechanical assembly, as depicted by step 714. Reference numeral 716 is used to represent the correct placement or orientation of the curved shim 102 in the mechanical assembly. Further, at step 718, the validation of the correct placement 716 of the curved shim 102 may be communicated to the computer 114 and/or an inspector for further analysis.
[0100] However, at step 710, if it is determined that the coordinates of the centroid of the reflected area do not fall within the third quadrant or the fourth quadrant, it may be confirmed that the reflections 216 from the curved surface of the shim 102 relative to the illumination unit 106 and the camera unit 108 include near surface reflections. Consequently, at step 720, it may be validated that the curvature of the shim 102 is concave side facing up. Moreover, it may be determined that the curved shim 102 is incorrectly oriented in the mechanical assembly, as depicted by step 722. Reference numeral 724 is used to represent the incorrect placement or orientation of the curved shim 102 in the mechanical assembly. Further, at step 718, the validation of the incorrect placement 724 of the curved shim 102 may be communicated to the computer 114 and/or an inspector for further analysis.
[0101] The methods 600, 700 for the real-time inspection of the placement of a curved shim as described hereinabove facilitate the determination and validation of a correct orientation of a shim having a curved surface, where the correct orientation includes a convex side facing up. Furthermore, the methods 600, 700 as described herein are specifically designed to address the unique requirement of objects having curved surfaces in mechanical assemblies. Specifically, the methods 600, 700 as described hereinabove revolutionize the identification and validation of quality control of the orientation of shims having curved surfaces within mechanical assemblies by facilitating real-time analysis of reflections from the curved surfaces of the shims.
[0102] Referring now to FIG. 8, a schematic representation 800 of one embodiment 802 of a digital processing system implementing the inspection system 110 (see FIG. 1), in accordance with aspects of the present specification, is depicted. Also, FIG. 8 is described with reference to the components of FIGs. 1-7.
[0103] It may be noted that while, in FIG. 1, the curvature detection platform 222 is shown as being a part of the inspection system 110, in certain embodiments, the curvature detection platform 222 may also be integrated into end user systems such as, but not limited to, an edge device, such as a phone or a tablet. Moreover, the example of the digital processing system 802 presented in FIG. 8 is for illustrative purposes. Other designs are also anticipated.
[0104] The digital processing system 802 may contain one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU) 804, a random access memory (RAM) 806, a secondary memory 808, a graphics controller 810, a display unit 812, a network interface 814, and an input interface 816. It may be noted that the components of the digital processing system 802 except the display unit 812 may communicate with each other over a communication path 818. In certain embodiments, the communication path 818 may include several buses, as is well known in the relevant arts.
[0105] The CPU 804 may execute instructions stored in the RAM 806 to provide several features of the present specification. Moreover, the CPU 804 may include multiple processing units, with each processing unit potentially being designed for a specific task. Alternatively, the CPU 804 may include only a single general-purpose processing unit.
[0106] Furthermore, the RAM 806 may receive instructions from the secondary memory 808 using the communication path 818. Also, in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the RAM 806 is shown as including software instructions constituting a shared operating environment 820 and/or other user programs 822 (such as other applications, DBMS, and the like). In addition to the shared operating environment 820, the RAM 806 may also include other software programs such as device drivers, virtual machines, and the like, which provide a (common) run time environment for execution of other/user programs.
[0107] With continuing reference to FIG. 8, the graphics controller 810 is configured to generate display signals (e.g., in RGB format) for display on the display unit 812 based on data/instructions received from the CPU 804. The display unit 812 may include a display screen to display images defined by the display signals. Furthermore, the input interface 816 may correspond to a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a touchpad, a mouse, and the like) and may be used to provide inputs. In addition, the network interface 814 may be configured to provide connectivity to a network (e.g., using Internet Protocol), and may be used to communicate with other systems connected to a network, for example.
[0108] Moreover, the secondary memory 808 may include a hard drive 826, a flash memory 828, and a removable storage drive 830. The secondary memory 808 may store data generated by the system 100 (see FIG. 1) and software instructions (for example, for implementing the various features of the present specification), which enable the digital processing system 802 to provide several features in accordance with the present specification. The code/instructions stored in the secondary memory 808 may either be copied to the RAM 806 prior to execution by the CPU 804 for higher execution speeds or may be directly executed by the CPU 804.
[0109] Some or all of the data and/or instructions may be provided on a removable storage unit 832, and the data and/or instructions may be read and provided by the removable storage drive 830 to the CPU 804. Further, the removable storage unit 832 may be implemented using medium and storage format compatible with the removable storage drive 830 such that the removable storage drive 830 can read the data and/or instructions. Thus, the removable storage unit 832 includes a computer readable (storage) medium having stored therein computer software and/or data. However, the computer (or machine, in general) readable medium can also be in other forms (e.g., non-removable, random access, and the like).
[0110] It may be noted that as used herein, the term “computer program product” is used to generally refer to the removable storage unit 832 or a hard disk installed in the hard drive 826. These computer program products are means for providing software to the digital processing system 802. The CPU 804 may retrieve the software instructions and execute the instructions to provide various features of the present specification.
[0111] Also, the term “storage media/medium” as used herein refers to any non-transitory media that store data and/or instructions that cause a machine to operate in a specific fashion. Such storage media may include non-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical disks, magnetic disks, or solid-state drives, such as the secondary memory 808. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as the RAM 806. Common forms of storage media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, solid-state drive, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic data storage medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical data storage medium, any physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, NVRAM, any other memory chip or cartridge.
[0112] Storage media is distinct from but may be used in conjunction with transmission media. Transmission media participates in transferring information between storage media. For example, the transmission media may include coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including the wires that include the communication path 818. Moreover, the transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infrared data communications.
[0113] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present specification. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
[0114] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the description presented hereinabove, numerous specific details are provided such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, and the like, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the specification.
[0115] The aforementioned components may be dedicated hardware elements such as circuit boards with digital signal processors or may be software running on a general-purpose computer or processor such as a commercial, off-the-shelf personal computer (PC). The various components may be combined or separated according to various embodiments of the invention.
[0116] Furthermore, the foregoing examples, demonstrations, and process steps such as those that may be performed by the system may be implemented by suitable code on a processor-based system, such as a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. It should also be noted that different implementations of the present specification may perform some or all of the steps described herein in different orders or substantially concurrently, that is, in parallel. Furthermore, the functions may be implemented in a variety of programming languages, including but not limited to C++, Python, and Java. Such code may be stored or adapted for storage on one or more tangible, machine readable media, such as on data repository chips, local or remote hard disks, optical disks (that is, CDs or DVDs), memory or other media, which may be accessed by a processor-based system to execute the stored code. Note that the tangible media may include paper or another suitable medium upon which the instructions are printed. For instance, the instructions may be electronically captured via optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then stored in the data repository or memory.
[0117] Embodiments of the systems and methods for real-time inspection of the placement of objects having curved surfaces in a mechanical assembly described hereinabove advantageously present a robust automated framework for real-time inspection that facilitates enhanced identification and quality control of the correct placement of a component with curved surfaces such as a shim having a curved surface in an assembly line. In addition, the systems and methods enable the determination and validation of a correct orientation of a shim having a curved surface, where the correct orientation includes a convex side facing up.
[0118] Furthermore, implementing the systems and methods as described hereinabove allows the precise identification and enhanced quality control while assembling components having curved surfaces in an assembly line, thereby ensuring optimal performance and safety of the mechanical assemblies. In particular, the automated systems and methods for real-time inspection of the placement of the shim having a curved surface are configured to accurately and efficiently assess the orientation and quality of curved surfaces in mechanical components, thereby circumventing the shortcomings of the currently prevailing manual inspection processes that are time-consuming and prone to human error and oversight. Moreover, these systems and methods enable the automated detection of the orientation of the curvature of the object being inspected in real-time. Use of the present systems and methods provides significant advantages in reliably providing significant enhancement in the quality of inspection of mechanical assemblies having components with curved surfaces and reducing rejects, thereby overcoming the drawbacks of currently available methods of inspection and detection of anomalies in the manufacturing and/or assembly process having these mechanical assemblies.
[0119] Additionally, the systems and methods present a unique technique of analyzing reflection patterns to accurately interpret an orientation of the curved shim. By way of example, the systems and methods compute the position of the reflection on the surface of the curved shim relative to the illumination unit and the camera unit and deduce the orientation of the curvature of the curved surface of the shim such as a convexity or a concavity of the shim based on the position of the reflection on the surface of the curved shim.
[0120] Also, the systems and methods described herein are specifically designed to address the unique requirement of objects having curved surfaces in mechanical assemblies. In addition, the systems and methods presented hereinabove revolutionize the identification and validation of quality control of the orientation of shims having curved surfaces within mechanical assemblies by facilitating real-time analysis of reflections from the curved surfaces of the shims. Also, the systems and methods for determining in real-time the correct orientation of objects having curved surfaces present a targeted and comprehensive approach to ensure the quality of orientation of objects having curved surfaces such as curved shims within mechanical assemblies.
[0121] Additionally, implementing the systems and methods for real-time inspection as described hereinabove advantageously provides enhanced timely detection of incorrect orientation of the curved shim, thereby maximizing yield, while minimizing discards due to defects. Furthermore, the present systems and methods provide an automated technique that accurately and efficiently assesses the orientation of the components having the curved surfaces in the mechanical assemblies, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the mechanical assemblies, while reducing rejects. Moreover, the design of the inspection system presented hereinabove allows the inspection system to be plugged in between the camera feed and the workstation and facilitates processing of the feed data on a real-time basis.
[0122] Although specific features of embodiments of the present specification may be shown in and/or described with respect to some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. It is to be understood that the described features, structures, and/or characteristics may be combined and/or used interchangeably in any suitable manner in the various embodiments.
[0123] While only certain features of the present specification have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the present specification is intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
,CLAIMS:1. A system (100, 200) for real-time inspection of a placement of an object (102, 210, 212) having a curved surface, the system (100, 200) comprising:
a mounting table unit (104) comprising:
a mounting table (202) configured to support the object (102, 210, 212) to facilitate inspection of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface;
a plurality of mounting pins (204) disposed on the mounting table (202), wherein the plurality of mounting pins (204) is configured to accommodate the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface in a desired position;
an illumination unit (106) configured to illuminate (214, 302, 402) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) disposed on the rotating mounting table (202) to create reflections (216, 304, 404) on the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212);
a camera unit (108) configured to capture the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212);
an inspection system (110) comprising:
an acquisition subsystem (218) configured to receive the captured reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) being inspected;
a processing subsystem (220) in operative association with the acquisition subsystem (218) and comprising:
a curvature detection platform (222) configured to process the captured reflections (216, 304, 404) to identify, in real-time, a curvature of the object (102, 210, 212), and wherein to identify the curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) the curvature detection platform (222) is configured to:
partition the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) into a plurality of equal regions (502, 504, 506, 508);
analyze the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) to identify a reflected area (510) on curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212);
determine the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
verify the placement of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface based on a location of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510); and
an interface unit (224, 226) configured to provide, in real-time, the placement of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.

2. The system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the placement of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises a correct placement or an incorrect placement, and wherein the correct placement of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises a positioning of the object (102, 210, 212) having a curvature with a convex side facing up, and the incorrect placement of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises a positioning of the object (102, 210, 212) having a curvature with a concave side facing up.

3. The system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the mounting table (202) comprises a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the mounting table (202) to facilitate the illumination (214, 302, 402) of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface from a plurality of angles.

4. The system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mounting pins (204) is arranged in a circular pattern on the mounting table (202) to facilitate uniform illumination (214, 302, 402) of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) by the illumination unit (106) and to facilitate capture of the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) by the camera unit (108).

5. The system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the illumination unit (106) is positioned strategically to illuminate (214, 302, 402) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) being inspected.

6. The system (100, 200) of claim 5, wherein the illumination unit (106) is positioned at an acute angle to illuminate (214, 302, 402) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212).

7. The system (100, 200) of claim 5, wherein the illumination unit (106) is configurable to adjust a position of the illumination unit (106), an intensity of the illumination unit (106), or both to optimize the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) based on a material of the object (102, 210, 212), surface characteristics of the object (102, 210, 212), or a combination thereof.

8. The system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein a relative position of the illumination unit (106) and the camera unit (108) is configurable with reference to the mounting table (202).

9. The system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein to identify the reflected area (510) on the curved surface the object (102, 210, 212), the curvature detection platform (222) is configured to apply a threshold to the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface the object (102, 210, 212) to identify a bright area on the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212).

10. The system (100, 200) of claim 9, wherein the curvature detection platform (222) is configured to determine a position of the reflections (216, 304, 404) on the circumference of the object (102, 210, 212) relative to the illumination unit (106) and the camera unit (108).

11. The system (100, 200) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of equal regions comprises a plurality of quadrants, and wherein the plurality of quadrants comprises a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant.

12. The system (100, 200) of claim 11, wherein to verify the placement of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) based on the location of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510), the curvature detection platform (222) is configured to:
determine coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
identify a location of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) in one or more quadrants of the plurality of quadrants (502, 504, 506, 508) based on the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
if the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) fall within the third quadrant or the fourth quadrant:
validate that curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) is convex side facing up;
determine that the placement of curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) is correct;
if the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) fall within other quadrants:
validate that curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) is concave side facing up;
determine that the placement of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) is incorrect; and
communicate, in real-time, the placement (716, 724) of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.
13. A method (600, 700) for real-time inspection of a placement of an object (102, 210, 212) having a curved surface, the method (600, 700) comprising:
providing (602) a mounting table unit (104) configured to support the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface to facilitate inspection of the object (102, 210, 212), wherein the mounting table unit (104) comprises a rotating mounting table (202) and a plurality of mounting pins (204) disposed on the rotating mounting table (202), and wherein the plurality of mounting pins (204) is configured to accommodate the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface in a desired position;
mounting (604) one or more objects (102, 210, 212) on the plurality of mounting pins (204);
illuminating (606) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) disposed on the mounting table (202) to create reflections (216, 304, 404) on the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212);
capturing (608) the reflections (216, 304, 404, 610) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212);
processing (612) the captured reflections (216, 304, 404, 610) to identify, in real-time, the placement of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212); and
providing (614), in real-time, the placement of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.

14. The method (600, 700) of claim 13, wherein the placement of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises a correct placement or an incorrect placement, and wherein the correct placement of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises a positioning of the object (102, 210, 212) having a curvature with a convex side facing up, and the incorrect placement of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises a positioning of the object (102, 210, 212) having a curvature with a concave side facing up.

15. The method (600, 700) of claim 13, wherein illuminating (606) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) disposed on the mounting table (202) comprises rotating the mounting table (202) to facilitate the illumination (214, 302, 402) of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) from a plurality of angles.

16. The method (600, 700) of claim 13, comprising positioning the illumination unit (106) strategically to illuminate (214, 302, 402) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) being inspected.

17. The method (600, 700) of claim 16, comprising adjusting a position of the illumination unit (106), an intensity of the illumination unit (106), or both to optimize the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) based on a material of the object (102, 210, 212), surface characteristics of the object (102, 210, 212), or a combination thereof.

18. The method (600, 200) of claim 13, comprising altering a relative position of the illumination unit (106) and the camera unit (108) with reference to the mounting table (202).

19. The method (600, 200) of claim 13, wherein processing (612) the captured reflections (216, 304, 404) to identify, in real-time, the placement of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises:
partitioning (702) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) into a plurality of equal regions (502, 504, 506, 508);
identifying (704) a reflected area (510) on the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) by analyzing the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212);
determining (706) the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510); and
verifying (710) the placement of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface based on a location of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);

20. The method (600, 700) of claim 19, wherein partitioning (702) the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) into a plurality of equal regions (502, 504, 506, 508) comprises dividing the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) into a plurality of quadrants, and wherein the plurality of quadrants comprises a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant.

21. The method (600, 700) of claim 20, wherein identifying (704) the reflected area (510) on the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) comprises applying a threshold to the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface the object (102, 210, 212) to identify a bright area (306, 406) on the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212).

22. The method (600, 700) of claim 21, wherein verifying (710) the placement of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) based on a location of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) comprises:
determining coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
identifying (708) a location of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) in one or more quadrants of the plurality of quadrants (502, 504, 506, 508) based on the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
if the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) fall within the third quadrant or the fourth quadrant:
validating (712) that curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) is convex side facing up;
determining (714) that the placement of curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) is correct (716);
if the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) fall within any other quadrant:
validating (720) that curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) is concave side facing up;
determining (722) that the placement of the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) is incorrect (724); and
communicating (718), in real-time, the placement (716, 724) of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.

23. An inspection system (110) for real-time inspection of a placement of an object (102, 210, 212) having a curved surface, the inspection system (110) comprising:
an acquisition subsystem (218) configured to receive captured reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) being inspected in response to impinging illumination;
a processing subsystem (220) in operative association with the acquisition subsystem (218) and comprising:
a curvature detection platform (222) configured to process the captured reflections (216, 304, 404) to identify, in real-time, a curvature of the object (102, 210, 212), and wherein to identify the curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) the curvature detection platform (222) is configured to:
partition the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) into a plurality of equal regions (502, 504, 506, 508);
analyze the reflections (216, 304, 404) from the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) to identify a reflected area (510) on the curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212);
determine the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
determine coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
identify a location of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) in one or more quadrants from the plurality of quadrants (502, 504, 506, 508) based on the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510);
if the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) fall within the third quadrant or the fourth quadrant:
validate that curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) is convex side facing up;
determine that the placement of curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) is correct;
if the coordinates of the centroid (512) of the reflected area (510) fall within any other quadrant:
validate that curvature of the object (102, 210, 212) is concave side facing up;
determine that the placement of curved surface of the object (102, 210, 212) is incorrect; and
communicate, in real-time, the placement (716, 724) of the object (102, 210, 212) having the curved surface to facilitate analysis.