VW uses object recognition system

The system, which was developed by MDUSpace at the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Business Incubation Centre in the Netherlands, is based on the object recognition and tracking concepts used for the automated docking of the ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). It was installed at the Palmela factory last year and is now being evaluated.

‘Automotive assembly lines are based on moving conveyor belts that transport the cars to be assembled at a steady, but not constant, speed,’ said Miguel Brito, business developer of MDUSpace. ‘The car is assembled by workers or robotic machines at each assembly station along the way.

‘When you have to attach a module to the car, for instance the car’s dashboard, the mounting is done by a manipulator — a large manually controlled robotic part positioner. As the cars move along the belt, the manipulator needs to move at the exact same speed. If it goes any slower or faster than the car, it could scratch or damage it.’