Automated Generation of Automated Visual Inspection (AVI) Routines for Surface Mounted Assembly Systems

本研究提出了一种方法的发展，该方法将导致新的表面贴装技术（SMT）组件的自动生成检测算法。所设想的方法将使开发自动视觉检测（AVI）系统成为可能，该系统可以为新组件开发和优化自己的检测算法。在这个概念下，最终的开发框架将最大限度地减少人类开发人员的干预，以获得在组件区分和对环境变量变化的敏感性方面满足最小性能度量的检查算法。该方法将基于矢量判别方法，用于识别已经开发出基本特征的缺陷部件。这种矢量方法与层次分类相结合，将用于获得所设想的方法。这种方法并不寻求取代人类开发人员；建议的框架将使他/她从繁琐的任务中解脱出来，这样他/她就可以专注于更复杂的任务，例如开发基于形态的特征，这些特征可能需要更复杂的检查任务。如果成功，这项研究将大大缩短开发SMT组件检测算法所需的时间。开发时间的减少将导致制造灵活性的增加，这将转化为更快地将新产品引入现有生产线并缩短设计交付时间。这种灵活性将有助于为电子工业提供竞争优势，这对美国具有明显的战略重要性。预期作为资助活动的直接结果，项目将扩大多学科金字塔式研究小组的概念。这一理念在招收本科生继续读研究生以及少数民族学生参与研究活动方面取得了优异的成绩。

This research proposes the development of a methodology that will result in the automated generation of inspection algorithms of new surface mounted Technology (SMT) components. The envisioned methodology will make possible the development of automated visual inspection (AVI) systems that develop and optimize their own inspection algorithms for new components. Under this notion the resulting development framework will minimize the intervention of human developers to obtain inspection algorithms that meet minimal performance measures in terms of component discrimination and sensitivity to changes in environmental variables. This methodology will be based on a vector discrimination approach for the identification of defective components whose basic characteristics have already been developed. This vector approach, in conjunction with a hierarchical classification, will be used to obtain the envisioned methodology. This methodology does not seek the replacement of the human developer; the proposed framework will free him/her from tedious tasks, so that s/he can focus on more complex tasks such as the development of morphology-based features that may be needed for more sophisticated inspection tasks. If successful, this research will significantly shorten the time required to develop inspection algorithms for SMT components. This reduction in development time will result in added manufacturing flexibility that will translate into more rapid introduction of new products into existing manufacturing lines and shorter design lead-times. This flexibility will contribute to give a competitive advantage to the electronics industry, which has a clear strategic importance for the USA. It is also expected that as a direct result of the funded activities the PI expand the concept of multi-disciplinary pyramidal research teams. This concept has given excellent results in terms of recruiting undergraduate students to continue on to graduate school and also in terms of the participation of minority students in research activities.