Abstract: A automatic guided vehicle which drives drive wheels differentially to change its traveling direction applies braking by imposing reverse torque to wheel drive motors when cornering or when rapid braking is demanded. This braking corrects the traveling direction of the automatic guided vehicle when the vehicle is apt to depart from its intended path, enabling a automatic guided vehicle even having a large inertia to make a smooth turn at a sharp corner.

Abstract: A automatic guided vehicle travels on a prearranged travel path established by a path guide and detects lateral deviation of the vehicle from a path guide to control the direction of travel of the vehicle by steering the vehicle according to a prescribed relationship between steering angle and lateral deviation which is installed in the form of ruling maps in the vehicle.

Abstract: A scanning interval, at which an area illumination scans a subject surface for surface defect inspection, is determined based on a smallest histogram of histograms for a same value of picture elements of a two-valued image extracted in connection with all positions in a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for polishing a paint coated surface, in which a polishing tool is held perpendicularly to the surface, are used to apply a predetermined polishing pressure to the surface even when the surface is inclined.

Abstract: An apparatus is utilized to detect defects and finish a surface of a workpiece moving at a predetermined speed along an automatic finishing line. The defects are detected and the surface is finished by a manipulator disposed at a predetermined finishing station of the automatic finishing line. The manipulator has an image pickup device and a finishing device combined into one unit. The apparatus performs the steps of moving the manipulator relative to a workpiece while detecting a surface defect on a surface of the workpiece with the image pickup device. The apparatus moves the manipulator at the same speed as the workpiece while finishing the surface defects on the surface of the workpiece with the finishing device.

Abstract: A coated surface on a vehicle body is visually inspected for defective parts and the defective parts found are marked with defect marks. A TV camera searches the coated surface for the defect marks and transfers data on the positions of the defect marks. A sanding robot wet-sands the marked portions of the coated surface of the vehicle body on the basis of the data given the TV camera.

Abstract: An inspection method including the steps of irradiating a light with a predetermined changing pattern onto a substantially specular surface to be inspected through an irradiation device facing the surface, forming an image based on reflected light in correspondence with the predetermined changing pattern by an imaging device, and utilizing reflected light of only 200-350 nm wavelength to form the image so as to detect a flaw in the surface by identifying points which differ from the changing pattern of the irradiation device. The flaws in the coating can be detected with a high accuracy irrespective of the color of the coating surface. An inspection device is also provided for the same object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying marking holes in an object moving along a conveyor or the like, in which television image signals of the identifying marking holes are classified into signals above and below a threshold level voltage and then made into a monochrome image of the identifying marking holes which is then compared with a pre-memorized image of the marking hole. The invention involves a particular way of selecting the threshold level voltages by using a threshold level voltage from among threshold level voltages used to identify the marking holes in preceding objects according to the frequency of occurrence of the threshold level voltages, and for the threshold level voltage of the second identifying marking hole, initially calculating a target threshold level voltage, and then modifying it if necessary by reference to threshold level voltages used to identify the second marking hole in preceding objects, so as to make the identification of the second hole quicker.

Abstract: A method of mounting a window glass on a vehicle body comprises the steps of attaching a positioning member for defining a position of the window glass to a window frame portion of the vehicle body in such a manner that a difference in brightness of color perceptible for an image sensor is made between the window frame portion and at least a part of the positioning member, detecting a location of the positioning member on the window frame portion by means of the image sensor, and fitting the window glass to the window frame portion by means of a robot operative to move along a working path which is modified in response to a detection output of the image sensor.