Image Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
13
Application Example: Coin Sorting Using
a Robot
Mick and SB were talking quietly in their local bar when the bartender's nephew,
Fred, approached them.
“I just inherited a robot,” he said out of the blue.
“Well, of course you have, terminator or R2D2?” Mick said while laughing.
“You inherited a what?” SB tried a bit more polite.
“A robot.”
“What do you mean a robot?”
“Well actually just a robot arm.”
“Ohh, just the arm,” Mick said ironically while laughing so hard the guests at the
nearby tables turned. He got up an went loudly to the restroom while saying
I'll be
back
in his best Arnold impression.
“Well more like a controllable mechanical arm,” Fred continued undaunted. Still
not quite taking it in SB couldn't help himself and asked who was wearing it before
Fred got it.
“Very funny,” Fred said flatly. “My farther bought it at a foreclosure auction
some years back. He had this idea of using it to sort all the coins he inherited from
his brother. But he dies before finishing the job.” SB didn't know what to say, but
after a few moments the silence was broken when Mick returned from the restroom.
“I bet you'll be good at arm wrestling if you put it on.”
“Seriously, I want to complete what my farther set out to do.”
“Ok, how far did he get.”
“Well, he moved it into his garage five years ago and that's about it.”
“Oh. But why didn't he just sort the coins by hand?”
“Too many.”
“How about those machines at the bank?” “Only works on newer coins and be-
sides, that would be cheating. I spent last month moving it to my basement and
getting it up and running. Now I can control it from a remote program and it can
pick up objects on the table—if I know exactly where they are located.”
“Really! Why don't you bring it here so it can grab another beer for me?” Mick
said. SB gave him a look and he continued. “Ok, sorry, so when will you be done,
I'll like to see a robot sorting coins.”
