A vision inspection method for the parameter extraction of orthodontic archwire

Archwire bending is an important step of orthodontic treatment as the bending accuracy would directly affect the treatment outcomes. In the process of archwire bending using a robot, parameter extraction of archwire is needed for both online feedback of bending control and offline validation of bending results. This study developed a vision inspection method for the parameter extraction of orthodontic archwire. The method uses a single camera to capture an image of the archwire. The image is processed to extract the locations of bending points, and bending parameters are then calculated automatically from the image. Experimental results validated that the developed method is effective to accurately extract the parameters of archwire.