Microassembly using a variable view imaging system to overcome small FOV and occlusion problems

In this paper, the variable view imaging system (VVIS) developed to offer flexibility in microscopic observation is applied to microassembly tasks to overcome several problems in normal imaging systems that hindered application of vision-guided micromanipulation techniques such as limited field of view (FOV) and fixed viewing direction. In three representative cases of microassembly, the parts are mated by visual servoing, avoiding FOV problem by combining unit FOV's and occlusion problem by changing the viewing direction to the optimal one. The results demonstrate the superiority and usefulness of the VVIS in various micromanipulation tasks.