Applications of Computer Vision Ontile Alignment Inspection

Due to a lack of standard operation procedures for tile alignment acceptance in Taiwan, subjective visual inspection becomes the main quality measure. Without quantitative specifications for tile alignment, inspectors can easily manipulate the outcome so that fine craftsmanship is not valued, resulting in great quality variation in tile installation works. This paper proposes an automated tile installation quality assurance prototype system, utilizing machine vision technologies. The system receives digital images of finished tile installation and has the images processed and analyzed to capture the geometric characteristics of the finished tile surface. The geometric characteristics are then evaluated to determine the quality level of the tiling work. Application of the proposed automated system can effectively improve the tile alignment inspection practice, and at the same time reduce improper manipulation during acceptance procedures.