NextEye teams up with China's SIASUN to develop AI inspection robot: “Adapts to varying shapes and inspection locations”

[Financial News] NextEye has teamed up with Chinese robotics and automation company SIASUN to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) inspection robot for high-mix production. The companies are combining SIASUN's robotics technology with NextEye's machine vision and AI inspection capabilities so the system can flexibly handle products with different shapes and inspection points.
NextEye said on the 7th that it was undertaking initial development of a robot-based inspection system with SIASUN. The goal is to enable a single robot system to carry out inspection processes that have traditionally relied on dedicated equipment for each product.
The development was prompted by demand at an existing automotive parts customer’s production site. Because part shapes and the locations to be checked vary depending on the product, adding separate inspection equipment increased both investment costs and the space required. NextEye therefore considered using a single robot to inspect multiple products.
The system is being designed to divide tasks between a robot and a vision inspection device. The robot will locate and pick up parts on the production line and move them into the position and at the angle needed for inspection; the vision device will analyze the images it captures to distinguish acceptable products from defective ones. The company plans to expand the range of products inspected over time by training the AI on new items.
Before selecting a partner, NextEye compared several Chinese robotics companies and conducted on-site assessments. It evaluated whether the systems could be used in actual production settings, considering factors including acquisition costs, mechanical quality, stability in repetitive operations, and whether specifications suited to the inspection requirements could be implemented.
SIASUN's operating performance and experience in manufacturing automation were factors in its selection. SIASUN has worked not only on industrial, mobile, and special-purpose robots and semiconductor transfer robots, but also on automation projects in welding, assembly, and logistics. According to company materials, it has completed about 18,000 projects for about 4,000 customers in around 40 countries.
Development is currently focused on integrating the robot with a conveyor. The team plans to first stabilize the robot's basic movements and then test its ability to identify and pick up parts moving along the conveyor. Once the first phase of development is complete, the equipment will be brought to Korea and combined with NextEye's vision inspection technology.
An industry official in manufacturing automation said, “On high-mix production lines, it is important to be able to quickly change inspection locations and equipment settings when the product changes,” adding, “For systems that combine robots with AI vision inspection, the key is to ensure reliable recognition and gripping, as well as inspection accuracy, in actual production settings.”
A NextEye representative said, “In discussions with an existing automotive parts customer about automation options, we confirmed the need for a system that can flexibly inspect a variety of products.” The representative added, “We plan to integrate SIASUN's robotics technology with our own machine vision and AI inspection technology to develop an inspection robot that can be used in manufacturing settings.”
[email protected] Choi Du-seon Reporter