Smart cameras for machine vision

Abstract

Among many applications of smart cameras, machine vision has been the most successful one. Smart cameras have gained a certain level of maturity in machine vision and have established a solid market share alongside other types of vision systems. Recent market data have shown that smart cameras are enjoying a faster growth rate compared with other vision systems. A great majority of smart cameras for machine vision are stand-alone integrated cameras. In this chapter, we present an overview of smart camera technologies for machine vision. We review their advantages and their applications in industrial machine vision. This is followed by discussions about design methodology and hardware and software systems involved in the development of smart cameras. Later in the chapter, some examples of smart cameras for machine vision are analyzed, followed by speculations about future trends and challenges for smart cameras in machine vision. Some and other resources for smart cameras and machine vision are given in the last section to conclude the chapter. © 2010 Springer-Verlag US.