METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATING A VISION SYSTEM TO A PARTS HANDLING DEVICE

A calibration method for calibrating a parts-handling device with respect to a computer vision camera includes the steps of moving a parts-handling device into contact with a touch-off block, and storing a value indicative of the position of the parts-handling device when it is in contact with the touch-off block. In addition, there may be two orthogonal surface on the touch-off block. By touching the parts-handling device against both surfaces, the parts-handling device can be calibrated for position offset in two orthogonal directions. For parts-handling devices that are rotatable, the parts-handling device may be rotated to a succession of predetermined angular positions and brought into contact with the touch-off block in each position. By combining the measured positions of the parts-handling device in each rotational position, the system can be calibrated to compensate for the offset from the camera to the parts-handling device as a function of rotational position as well.