TTI Inc. has sponsored this post.
As industries race to automate, the machine vision market is undergoing rapid change. Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning — combined with faster processing speeds — are enabling vision systems to come closer to replicating the function of the human eye. High-resolution cameras combined with ultra-fast computing systems are working to capture images and convert them into data that machines can respond to in real time.
But as the technology evolves, so do the demands placed on it. From robotics and drones to autonomous motion equipment, new applications are pushing machine vision systems into more dynamic, high-stress environments.
“Not only is the industry driving higher speeds, but also ruggedness,” says Dave Nyberg, global portfolio manager for industrial electronics at 3M.
Consider a robot in a hospital environment, navigating hallways to deliver prescription medications while carefully avoiding staff and patients. Using machine vision, it continuously scans its surroundings, identifies obstacles, and adjusts its path accordingly. The robot experiences constant movement, and the odd bump or two.
Or it may be a drone surveying crops or delivering products, capturing visual data while experiencing endless vibration and the occasional hard landing. These types of conditions can prove challenging for internal components, including the cables and connectors that link the vision system to processing units.
“When you think about robotic applications, a typical one is the auto assembly line,” says Nyberg. “You’ve got the big robotic arms moving big parts on the assembly line and riveting or welding the panels onto a car. That arm movement is replacing what a human arm would do; you’ve got to have a lot of range of motion with the shoulder, elbow, wrists — a lot of twisting, movement, flex. Whenever you have robotic applications with a lot of movement, the cables have to withstand that movement because they’re going out to sensors on the end of the arm.”
Similar motions are seen in agricultural automation. “There are a lot of applications now where you think of the movement of a robotic arm and hand that’s picking an apple or strawberry,” says Nyberg. “It’s moving, reaching, grabbing, twisting, turning, pulling it back. This creates significant stressors such as torsion and flexing of the cable assembly.”
These factors are driving manufacturers to create more robust cable assemblies — and that’s where 3M’s USB3 Vision and CoaXPress solutions come into play.
“Our 3M USB vision cable assemblies are very heavy-duty, high industrial strength cables — very durable,” explains Nyberg. “3M has USB cable assemblies that are tested for over 100 million cycles. What that means is these USB cables have been on drag chain equipment being flexed over and over again, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for a few years uninterrupted.”
3M’s designs include screw locks at the connector ends to help secure cables during operation. “With vibration concerns, you cannot afford these cables coming loose from a board-mount connector,” says Nyberg.
Right-angle and other connector configurations help address tight space constraints common in compact equipment like drones. Length is another area where 3M’s cable assemblies stand out, offering a level of versatility not typically associated with USB cables.
“Longer length is a real attribute and feature of our products, particularly our USB cables,” says Nyberg. “Typically, USB cables are thought of as — you go over 4 or 5 meters, and most users are thinking of a different interface. But we have passive USB cables that can transmit signals up to 5 Gbps at over 11 to 12 meters, and that’s very unusual in the market. We have a very strong long length cable in our USB product line that meets that requirement.”
Customization of these cable lengths is another key differentiator. Nyberg elaborates: “If you have a piece of equipment and you’re trying to save weight and you have space constraints, we can ship you a 2.5-meter cable, but you may have extra cable there that you can’t afford because of a weight or space issue. We can cut that down and customize to a 2.35-meter cable. You can get any of our cable assemblies customized to an individual length—right down to a fraction of a meter, to a centimeter, or whatever the requirement might be.”
3M’s CoaXPress cable assemblies provide many of the same advantages as the 3M USB cables. Like their USB counterparts, they incorporate features such as secure screw-on or quarter-turn, key-lock mechanisms. They come in various connector types, including Micro-BNC right-angle versions for tight spaces. Their dynamic bending durability is tested to 50 million cycles, a high standard for the coaxial cable industry.
In addition to the applications mentioned earlier, machine vision is transforming healthcare. Through high-resolution imaging, fast interface standards and reliable cable solutions, cameras can now capture extremely high-resolution images of blood samples and cell tissue — enabling remote diagnosis. In surgical settings, doctors can control robotic arms from thousands of miles away, performing procedures in real time without ever being in the room.
“As this technology continues to evolve, lives will be saved,” says Nyberg. “People will be able to access the medical community that was out of reach before, due in large part through the advancements in machine vision and highly durable cable assemblies. It’s really quite amazing.”
To learn more, visit 3M at TTI, Inc.
