Computer vision system for estimating and controlling the weight of glass gobs during their industrial formation process

We present a computer vision system for measuring the weight of gobs during a glass-forming process, and a control strategy to automatically correct any weight deviation from a given set point. The system is based on a reliable gob area estimation using image-processing algorithms. A monochrome CCD high-resolution camera and a photodetector for synchronizing acquisition are used for registering gob images. Assuming that the gob has symmetry of revolution about the vertical axis, the proposed system estimates the weight of gobs with accuracy better than 60.75%. A learning weight control strategy is proposed based on a proportional-integral (PI)-repetitive control scheme. The weight deviation from a set point is used as a control signal to adjust the glass flow into the feeder. This regulation scheme enables effective weight control, canceling midand long-term effects. The tracking error of 61.5% means a reduction of 40% when compared with a traditional PI controller. © 2004 SPIE and IS&T. [DOI: 10.1117/1.1762888]