A machine vision and artificial intelligence kit for an educational robotic manipulator, with an intelligent camera, a controller, recognition objects, themed cards and scenario mats, for teaching OCR, object classification and logistics automation in schools.
The Labotrix Vision R2 is a machine vision and artificial intelligence kit, an accessory to an educational robotic manipulator, for the in-depth study of artificial intelligence technologies, machine vision and process automation. Paired with an external educational manipulator that has 4 degrees of freedom, it lets students model real production and everyday scenarios in real time. The camera of the kit recognises objects on board, both by colour and by a printed symbol, that is a graphic marker, on a card or on a container; the controller of the kit converts the coordinates of the objects found into the coordinates of the manipulator, and the manipulator picks them up and moves them. On this chain of image, coordinate and action students model teaching scenarios of counting, sorting and stocktaking: optical character recognition, or OCR, applied to the automation of warehouse operations, classification of objects by colour or by class for tasks such as waste sorting, and the training and recognition of patterns for the automation of logistics processes such as the replenishment of stock in shops. The kit is used in computer science, technology and robotics lessons and in club and project work.
The core of the system is an intelligent camera module with its own processor: it isolates the trained objects in the image, that is colour patches and printed symbols or graphic markers, and passes to the controller only the result, namely the class of the object, its coordinates and its size, without loading the controller with video processing. The camera holds 7 colour signatures at a time, and 4 colours are implemented in the library of the kit: red, green, blue and yellow. For every object it returns the signature number, the coordinates of the centre of the object in the image and the length and width of the object. Data are transferred over I2C, the camera connects to a computer for setup over a Micro USB cable, focus is adjusted by rotating the lens, and the camera is fixed by a bracket on the rotary servo drive of the end effector of the manipulator. The controller of the kit is a board with an AVR architecture microcontroller compatible with an open programming environment, supplied complete with an expansion board; it is powered from the USB port of the computer and needs no separate power supply, communicates with the manipulator over the 10-pin communication interface on the manipulator base and with the computer over USB, and is programmed in C and C++ with ready-made libraries of vision and motion control functions. Calibration is done on three reference points and links the coordinate system of the image, in pixels, with the coordinate system of the manipulator, in millimetres. The end effector of the kit is a suction cup driven by the air pump of the manipulator. The kit also carries button modules, light-emitting diode modules, 3 pieces of each type, and a joystick module, plus a voice command recognition module with a fixed set of 22 commands executed in English or in Chinese, one version being supplied to order. The kit is compatible with robotic manipulators equipped with 4 controlled joints and a matching 10-pin communication connector.
The set includes the camera module with a bracket for mounting on the manipulator – 1 set, the camera cable – 1 pc, the controller board with the expansion board – 1 set, a cable for connecting the controller board to the manipulator – 1 pc, the voice command recognition module in English or Chinese to order – 1 pc, the cable of the voice command recognition module – 1 pc, button modules – 3 pcs, light-emitting diode modules – 3 pcs, a joystick module – 1 pc, a fixing plate for mounting the modules – 1 pc, cables for the digital modules – 12 pcs, 3-pin adapter cables – 4 pcs, 4-pin adapter cables – 4 pcs, a USB cable – 1 pc, a Micro USB cable – 1 pc, socket head cap screws for fixing the camera – 2 pcs, a suction cup – 1 pc, nylon rivets for mounting the modules – 18 pcs, EVA cubes in four colours as objects for recognition – 16 pcs, a set of themed cards for recognition, with printed symbols for warehouse stocktaking and images for waste sorting – 1 set, mock-ups of goods and containers for warehouse and retail scenarios – 1 set, specialised fields, that is mats, for modelling working scenarios – 2 pcs, the access right to the online course with the AI assistant, that is the licence – 1 pc, the passport with the warranty card – 1 pc, and individual transport packaging – 1 pc. The themed cards, the mock-ups and the mats are made of paper, that is cardboard, plastic and silicone, materials suitable for long-term use in educational institutions. The robotic manipulator itself, its power supply and its air pump are a separate product and are not part of this kit; they are ordered separately, and without a manipulator the kit performs only part of its functions.
The product is supplied with the access right to an online teaching support course hosted in a learning management system and designed for 70 academic hours of lessons, compiled to the current curricula of general secondary education institutions of Ukraine. The materials are grouped into research modules in physics, biology, chemistry, STEM and robotics, and every topic contains a lesson plan, a list of the equipment required, a scenario for running the experiment, step-by-step instructions for the laboratory work with an explanation of the expected result, a video demonstration of working techniques, interactive exercises and tasks for independent work, suitable both for individual and for group work. All modules are compiled for this same equipment and tested on it, so the course follows a direct chain from equipment to teaching method to learning outcomes. The kit includes an AI assistant built into the learning management system on retrieval-augmented generation. It selects research tasks and experiments matching the topic of the lesson, describes the procedure of the experiment step by step, identifies typical student errors and gives personalised recommendations for correcting them, adapts task difficulty to different levels of student preparation, supports students in compiling reports on research results and in structuring the conclusions drawn from experiments, and works on a localised knowledge base aligned with the national curriculum of Ukraine. The licence for the course and the software is valid for 12 months; content, interface and learning materials are in Ukrainian.
Before first use the kit is connected to the manipulator and calibrated. The expansion board is joined to the controller board, the suction cup is fitted on the manipulator and connected to its air pump, the camera bracket is fixed on the rotary servo drive of the end effector with the lens looking down towards the working surface, and the camera, the manipulator and the computer are connected with the signal, USB and Micro USB cables. The manipulator is then switched on and returned to its home point, since without this the coordinates are incorrect and calibration is meaningless. The workplace is covered with a matt single-colour surface contrasting with the objects for recognition and lit with even diffused light without glare or sharp shadows. Colour and symbol signatures are trained in the camera setup program, after which the three reference points are set, not on one straight line and in the same order in both coordinate systems, and the matrix linking the two systems is computed; calibration is repeated after any displacement of the camera or of the working field.
The product is intended for educational work in general secondary education institutions and is used only under the control and supervision of a teacher; the recommended age of students is from 10 years, that is grade 5 and above. In recognition mode the manipulator starts moving on its own as soon as the camera detects an object, without a separate operator command, so hands and foreign objects are kept out of the working area while a scenario is running. All cables and modules are connected and disconnected only with the power of the manipulator off and the USB cable unplugged from the computer, and the boards and the camera module are held by their edges or housing. The camera is not pointed at the sun or at powerful light sources. The lens is cleaned only with a dry optical wipe or a soft lint-free cloth; alcohol, solvents and abrasives are not used. The boards are cleaned of dust with a dry soft brush or a jet of compressed air, and wet cleaning of the boards is not allowed. Store the kit in a dry room protected from dust, direct sunlight and sharp temperature changes, with the camera lens down or in a case, the boards in antistatic bags or in the factory insert, and the small parts in a closed box. The service life of the product is 5 years and the warranty period is 12 months from the date of sale. The operating documentation is in Ukrainian.
