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Abstract

An improved method and apparatus for optical determination of the orientation of a garment workpiece by locating a seam on a stationary workpiece formed from at least two sub-pieces sewn together along that seam. The device consists of a light emitting surface on which the workpiece is placed, so that light is transmitted at a first intensity through the surface, at a second, lower intensity through a single layer of the fabric of the workpiece, and at a third, very low or no intensity through the seam, to provide a contrast in light intensities that highlight the shape of the workpiece and the location of the seam, which appears as a dark or black line. A CCD Vision System Camera can be mounted above the lighted surface to capture an image of the workpiece which is transmitted to a controller. The controller compares the image of the workpiece to a stored image of a like workpiece of known orientation, to determine the actual orientation of the workpiece. The computer can then, if desired, use an industrial robot or other similar device to reorient the workpiece to a desired orientation for further processing.

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First Claim