AUTOMATED IDENTIFICATION OF SHOE PARTS

摘要

Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated in an automated manner.

主权项

1. A method for positioning a shoe part in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the method comprising:
recording a first image of an attachment shoe part using at least one camera, the first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part; recording a second image of a base shoe part using the at least one camera, the second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part; identifying at least one reference feature of the attachment shoe part in the first image depicting the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part; determining an identity of the attachment shoe part by comparing the at least one reference feature identified in the first image to at least one pre-determined reference feature of a shoe-part reference image; determining, from the first image, a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system; determining, from the second image, a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system; communicating the first and the second geometric coordinates to a part-transfer apparatus which operates in the geometric coordinate system; and transferring, by the part-transfer apparatus, the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate.