FANUC iRVision

iRVision is the vision option that runs inside a FANUC controller (R-30iB or R-30iB Plus), sharing memory, motion control, and program storage with the robot rather than living on a separate PC. Camera calibration, vision processes, and robot programs all live in the same TP and Karel environment.

In a cell it usually handles part location, guidance, or inspection ahead of a pick. A single fixed 2D camera can find loose parts on a table for a FANUC LR Mate 200iD pick-and-place job, a wrist-mounted camera closes the loop on offset targets, and multiple cameras extend the same idea across a wider work area.

For depth-sensitive work, iRVision supports 3D area sensors and laser displacement sensors, which form the base for FANUC's own bin-picking option. Vision results feed directly into robot target frames, so there is no external translation layer to build and maintain.

Choose iRVision when the cell is FANUC-only and the vision task fits inside the tool's envelope: 2D conveyor tracking, fixed-camera location, bin picking for parts the 3D sensor can resolve. For heavy custom inspection logic, deep-learning defect classification, or mixed-brand cells, an external smart camera like Cognex In-Sight is a better fit.

Compatibility ends at the FANUC controller. There is no cross-brand support, so a shop running FANUC alongside ABB or Universal Robots ends up with iRVision on the FANUC and a separate vision system on the other arms.

Commissioning trouble tends to be mechanical. Camera mount rigidity, lens focus drift after a bump, and lighting that changes with plant ambient light through nearby windows all show up as gradual accuracy loss. Grid calibration accuracy also degrades if the calibration grid isn't perfectly flat or is misplaced during setup.

Typical uses: machine tending where rack presentation is not perfectly repeatable, pick-and-place off a moving belt combined with 2D conveyor tracking, and simple quality inspection checks integrated into the same cycle as the handling operation.