Robotics & perception

Precision in every pick.

Robotic component placement

3D vision helps robots locate, orient, and place non-standard electronic components.

YF / 06 Robotics & perception Robotic component placement — conceptual system illustration
System concept Illustration / 06
Industry
Electronics manufacturing
Our role
3D vision & robot guidance
Core tools
Structured light · YOLOv7 · RTX A4000
01 / The challenge

A practical problem.

Legacy template matching struggled with irregular connectors and reflective shielding cans. New components took days to configure, and the line needed more reliable positioning for a varied product mix.

Engagement
7 months · Apr–Oct 2023
Project setting
UK engineering · Shenzhen production
02 / Our approach

Built around the constraints.

  1. See in three dimensions.

    RGB and structured-light cameras capture component shape and position.

  2. Estimate the pose.

    A trained detector and CAD-based refinement determine the orientation needed for placement.

  3. Pick, place, verify.

    Grasp planning and visual checks connect perception to the existing assembly workflow.

03 / The system

How it comes together.

Components → processing → output

A vision-to-motion pipeline estimates a component’s pose, guides placement, and checks the result before the next cycle.

  1. Capture

    RGB cameras · Structured light

    Synchronised images and depth measurements capture components in feeder trays. Calibration corrects camera distortion.

    OutputColour images & 3D point clouds

  2. Identify

    YOLOv7 · RTX A4000

    A trained detector locates and classifies components, including irregular connectors and shielding cans.

    OutputComponent class & location

  3. Orient

    Learned keypoints · CAD registration

    Keypoints initialise CAD-based pose refinement. Grasp planning selects a suitable vacuum-nozzle contact point.

    Output6-DOF pose & grasp target

  4. Place

    Robot control · Visual verification

    The robot aligns and places the component. Force feedback and a final visual check support error recovery.

    OutputVerified placement or retry

04 / The outcome

Results from this project.

Detection accuracy
98.8%Compared with 88% for template matching
Placement accuracy
±0.05 mmWith controlled lighting and calibration
Complete cycle
2.3 sPick, place, and verification

Before

Fixed templates struggled with irregular components and took days to configure for new parts.

After

3D perception guides pick-and-place, with new component calibration and validation reduced to around four hours.

In context. Transparent and highly reflective parts reduce detection accuracy to 94.2%. Controlled lighting and regular recalibration are needed; very small components require a different placement head.

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