Development of a low cost machine vision based quality control system for a learning factory

Abstract Learning Factories provide a promising environment for developing the competencies required from a future workforce to apply and integrate technologies associated with digitalised production environments and cyber-physical systems. This paper describes a student project for the development and implementation of a low cost machine vision based quality control system within a Learning Factory. A prototype system was developed using low cost hardware and open source software freely available. The system will be used towards further research and development of more intelligent manufacturing systems within the Learning Factory, based on machine vision. A second benefit was student competency development through self-learning and experimentation. It serves to illustrate how the education as well as research goals of a Learning Factory can be addressed simultaneously through student projects.