Calibration method for a visual sensor

Abstract

A calibration method enables a visual sensor attached to a robot to be calibrated easily, quickly, and accurately without using a mechanism for accurately setting a calibration jig or a wide jig setting space. First calibration pattern data, which includes the coordinate values of dots composing a dot pattern formed on a pattern plate (3) mounted on the distal end of an arm of a first robot (1), in a common coordinate system is entered in a visual sensor control device (20) by means of a first robot control device (10), and pattern plate image data is delivered from a camera (6), which is mounted on the distal end of an arm of a second robot (4), to the visual sensor control device (20). Then, the first calibration pattern data (12a) is compared with second calibration pattern data (25a) which includes the coordinate values of the dots composing a dot pattern, calculated on the basis of video data, in a camera coordinate system, and calibration data (CD) for associating the common coordinate system with the camera coordinate system is obtained to calibrate the camera.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.