Work piece tracking system and method

A work implement tracking system comprising:

• a work implement;
• a target secured to the work implement;
• at least one camera configured to acquire one or more images of the target;
• and
• a processor coupled to the camera wherein the processor executes a vision recognition algorithm to process the acquired images of the target to determine one or more positions of the work implement during performance of a task and the processor executes a vision tracking algorithm on at least one of the acquired images to determine work implement information, wherein the vision tracking algorithm when executed by the processor
• generates extremum information associated with the target by cross-correlating at least one structure across at least a portion of the image, wherein the extremum information includes at least one coordinate point associated with cross-correlating the at least one structure across the acquired image;
• extracts at least one icon from the acquired image, wherein the icon includes the coordinate point associated with the extremum information;
• determines an angle associated with the at least one icon;
• normalizes the icon to a fixed size;
• and
• stores the icon information in a computer readable form, wherein the icon information includes image values associated with at least a portion of the icon;
• the at least one coordinate point associated with the extremum information;
• and the angle associated with the at least one icon.