An image processing approach for jigsaw puzzle assembly

Purpose - To develop an image processing approach for jigsaw puzzle assembly. Design/methodology/approach - First, pixels are extracted from the jigsaw puzzle blocks to calculate their rotation angles and centre coordinates. Second, a template matching method is employed to recognise each block and its orientation. Findings - A robot-based jigsaw puzzle system is established; and an effective image processing approach for assembly is developed. Practical implications - Automatic assembly lines that assemble parts with the same shape, but random position and angle, can employ the jigsaw puzzle assembly method. Originality/value - An effective image processing method for jigsaw puzzle assembly is presented in this paper. The validity of the method is proved by analysis and experiment.