Register | Login
Intellectual Property Today
RFC Express - Document Management System
2013 Top Patent Firms
2013 Top Trademark Firms
Current Issue
_blank

Advertising Opportunities

Click Here

Email A Friend Back to Archived News


Braintech, Inc. is Granted Valuable U.S. Patent Multi-Camera Surround 3D Technology


Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Washington, DC -- Braintech, Inc. (OTCBB: BRHI) has received approval from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for its advanced multi-camera vision guidance technology, known as Surround 3D or SR3D™.

It is the second patent granted to Braintech and strengthens the 14-year-old company's position as a driving force in Vision Guided Robotics. The first patent, issued in 2004, was for Single Camera 3D (SC3D™) technology and has met with tremendous success in industrial applications.

Surround 3D has been specifically developed and commercialized to analyze images from three or more cameras encircling large three-dimensional objects with precise features that cannot be seen from a one camera view. It can accommodate big objects like vehicle bodies or aircraft structures. Employing the SR3D technique, images from several cameras are analyzed to determine the 3D position of the intended target, in six degrees of freedom. The information is used to correct a robot's path of operation immediately, which allows it to safely move to the exact location for application. Typical uses include robotic vehicle body sealing, adhesive dispensing, painting and polishing and aerospace structure cutting and fastening.

"It is a significant milestone for the Company. We are jumping up and down that we have received the patent for Surround 3D, which widens the scope of Vision Guided Robotics," Braintech Chief Executive Officer Rick Weidinger said. "It represents another technological benchmark for our company. The years we've spent investing in research and development of our technologies are paying off with new products and we are just beginning to see the benefits from these efforts. Once again, we prove we have the 'right stuff.'"

The Surround multi-camera technology is integrated into Braintech's existing eVisionFactory™ platform and is capable of higher accuracy and repeatability than can be achieved by the traditional methods such as stereo camera pairs. SR3D combines the multiple positions of an object's features-bolt patterns, edges or other unique characteristics-from multiple views to provide the exact position and orientation of the object. Traditional stereo systems utilize camera pairs to locate individual features and undertake a rudimentary installation process. Traditional systems for large-scale objects also require twice the number of cameras, making them more expensive and more difficult to install and maintain.

The SR3D method seamlessly incorporates views from a flexible number of cameras to achieve increased reliability and accuracy over traditional systems. A SR3D-based robot guidance system can also handle the loss of one or more cameras and continue to operate as long as a minimum number of features and camera views are available. Flexibility with minor hardware malfunctions means production lines stay up and prevent expensive manufacturing downtime.

"This new technology streamlines the process, delivering bulls-eye accuracy and results in a more efficient operation at a lower cost," Weidinger said.

For more information about Braintech, Inc. visit: http://www.braintech.com.

About Braintech, Inc.

Braintech is a recognized leader in the field of robot guidance, machine and computer vision.

Braintech's vision software and technologies are used to develop products in the areas of vision recognition and robot guidance. These products enhance processes in manufacturing, logistics, material handling, automation, situational awareness, security and reconnaissance and edutainment and many more. eVisionFactory and Volts-IQ are robust, scaleable and transferable software platforms for use in Industrial, Government and Defense and Consumer and Service applications. The eVisionFactory platform features two patented technologies, SR3D and SC3D, the Henry Ford Technology award-winning Single Camera 3D VGR technology. With a global customer list that includes Ford, Toyota, Honda, Johnson & Johnson and Battelle Memorial Institute, Braintech's software is being utilized every day on over 170 robots in diverse applications in 39 different installations and over 21 end users.

Braintech (OTCBB: BRHI) has been a publicly traded company since 1994, and has offices in Washington DC, Michigan and Vancouver, Canada.

Braintech, Inc., 2008. All rights reserved. eVisionFactory, eVF, and SC3D are trademarks of Braintech and all its subsidiaries.

eVisionFactory includes SC3D Patent Number US 6,816,755, and SR3D Patent Number US 7,336,874.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this document that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and reflect the current views of management with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include the statement that the breakthrough in robotic vision science allows those using eVisionFactory, eVF, SC3D or SR3D to operate at lower costs. It is important to note that the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as technical difficulties in developing the products; competition from other suppliers of similar products; pricing that may not be acceptable to potential markets; and many other known and unknown factors.

Readers should also refer to the risk disclosures outlined in the Company's 10-KSB and 10-QSB Forms filed from time to time with the SEC.



Back to Archived News
Looking for...

  © Copyright 2013 Intellectual Property Today
Download Adobe Reader for free