Development of a method for reducing motion blur in images of objects on conveyor lines using moving cameras

Purpose of research. The article investigates a method proposed by the authors for reducing motion blur in images of objects moving at high speed on a conveyor belt, using a moving camera whose speed is synchronized with the movement of the conveyor belt. Application of this method improves the quality of the obtained images and, consequently, the efficiency of automated quality control and object identification systems on the conveyor. To assess the degree of image blurring, a metric based on the analysis of the frequency spectrum of the obtained image was used.

Methods. A method for reducing motion blur in object images has been developed, based on the use of an automatic synchronization system that equalizes the speeds of the camera and the object on the conveyor at the moment the image is captured. To ensure reciprocating motion of the camera, it is mounted on sliders of a self-balancing double crank-slider mechanism (CSM). The article presents the structure of the automatic synchronization system and provides a description of its operating algorithm. A condition for synchronizing the movement of the camera and the conveyor was derived. To test the machine vision system with a moving camera mounted on the CSM slider, a test prototype of the mechanism providing reciprocating motion of the camera was constructed.

Results. Using the test prototype of the mechanism, a comparison between a machine vision system with a static camera and one with a moving camera at various conveyor belt speeds was made. The obtained results show that the moving camera significantly reduces the effect of blurring, especially at high speeds.

Conclusion. The proposed method allows for a significant reduction or complete elimination of motion blur, leading to a substantial improvement in the quality of the obtained images and enhancing the overall efficiency of the machine vision system. It is noted that the system requires precise synchronization accuracy between the camera and the conveyor, and its implementation may involve certain technical challenges. Nevertheless, the obtained results open up broad prospects for further development and application of the method in various fields requiring high-precision and reliable visual information about moving objects.

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