Method of detecting longitudinal direction of inspection object and identifying configuration of the same

摘要

A method of detecting a longitudinal direction of an inspection object and identifying a configuration of the same. A camera takes an image of an inspection object to obtain a border line of the image. A plurality of vectors having substantially the same absolute value and arrayed continuously on the border line are set, and a distribution of inclinations of all the vectors are obtained. Then, a longitudinal direction of the inspection object is detected on the basis of thus obtained distribution of vector inclination. Accordingly, the detection of a longitudinal direction can be performed accurately about the inspection object regardless of the number of corners on the border line. Furthermore, the detection will be accurately done even if the image includes a noise such as a nozzle.