Machine Vision: State-of-the-Art Systems

Although much attention has been given in the literature to the application of machine vision systems in connection with their use for enhancing the ability and flexibility of robots (so-called smart robots), as of the latter half of the 1980s, statistics indicate that non-robotic applications for machine vision are in the majority. The general categories of such uses include: (1) identification, (2) classification, (3) sorting and measuring, (4) inspection, (5) verification, and (6) quality control. Machine vision systems are enjoying a rather wide acceptance in the electronics manufacturing industry. A number of robotic guidance applications of machine vision, in addition to those mentioned in this article, pertain to automated industrial operations, such as welding, machining, painting, assembly, materials handling, among others.