This appears close to awesome.
Just getting to market now - first production run available shortly AFAICS.

"Proper" pick and place with optical recognition of components,
orientation, component "bins"*, fiducials, board dimensions etc.

     http://www.liteplacer.com/

Hackaday writeup
Contains some material not obviously available on their site


http://hackaday.io/project/1755-liteplacer-a-low-cost-pick-and-place-machin=
e

Works OKish down to 0402
Demonstration video uses PCB images with no solder paste so you can
subsequently clearly see how the accuracy achieved.

* Components are picked directly from cut strips taped to work surface near
PCB with the machine told where to find them - more or less.
Seems to work well and this seems like a good idea for small runs. No doubt
other arrangements could be achieved. even eg being able to pull tapes off
reels into predefined locations, cut off finished carrier, refasten and
continue would be bearably fast for low volume work.

His results are based on and an extension of the experiences of others, as
he freely acknowledges.


YouTube demo

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D0bYrwi3UA_A

Store

        http://www.liteplacer.com/opencart/

Assembly view


http://www.liteplacer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/LitePlacer-Mechanical-=
assembly.pdf

They use these linear bearings -  a good idea in their own right  (Open
Source CCAS3)
[Core idea - delrin V groove wheels on V ridge extrusion with
multidimensional stiffness.]

                 http://www.makerslide.com/

       Kickstarter overfunded 4:1 June 2011


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/93832939/makerslide-open-source-linear=
-bearing-system/comments
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