FEATURE MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS THE EMBEDDED VISION REVOLUTION
Embedded vision has been a major topic in the vision industry for some time. A large number of exciting possible uses for embedded vision systems already exist in virtually all branches of industry and daily life. But will this technology really lead to a complete upheaval in machine vision?
Boa Spot Vision Sensor from Teledyne DALSA
mbedded vision is generally considered to be the direct integration of compact vision systems (on the basis of adapted camera modules) into machines or devices. Using bespoke computer platforms and lower power consumption, they make intelligent image processing possible in the most diverse applications without a classic industrial PC being required. However, many embedded vision configurations are possible.
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EMBEDDED PC SYSTEMS Embedded PCs utilise standard external cameras with all the image sensors available on the market, but they differ from classic industrial PC systems because they have permanently integrated image acquisition capabilities. These embedded PCs are typically based on a Windows Embedded operating system or Linux and are freely programmable, allowing ready adaptation of the systems to the respective requirements (with the use of special libraries for industrial image processing). The connection to the machine takes place via proprietary bus adaptors or special industrial Ethernet cards.
SMART CAMERAS AND VISION SENSORS Smart cameras and vision sensors go one step further. With these systems the camera sensor, the image capture, the processor for the image evaluation and the I/O interfaces, as well as in some cases the lighting and the lens, are combined in what is usually a very compact and robust housing. Vision sensors usually feature a graphical “point and click” interface. These systems also frequently work with integrated lighting and lenses, which makes them easy to use, but can reduce the flexibility. Such systems are usually optimised for certain applications and do not allow switching to a completely different one, for example from a pure presence check to measuring or reading tasks.
DEEP EMBEDDED VISION Fully integrated vision systems that can work without operating systems are sometimes described as ‘Deep Embedded Vision’ systems. These are designed and developed specifically for a certain task and are not freely programmable. High initial costs are incurred during the system design and these costs need to be amortised through the production of large numbers, so there needs to be a significant demand. Changes cannot easily be made to the system without considerable additional cost and effort. However, as a rule, such products are characterised by very low power consumption, allowing very long run times, even when powered by a battery. One current example of such systems is the RealSense technology from Intel. These camera systems are based on the Intel RealSense D4 vision processor, which features the most advanced algorithms for processing the raw image streams from the integrated image sensors. Precise 3D depth information is calculated with a high resolution and at an impressive frame rate. These 3D images are then output for further processing.
A current example of a Deep Embedded Vision system is RealSense technology from Intel
SYSTEM ON CHIP System on Chip (SoC) is a new, extremely flexible embedded computer technology that has recently been in great demand. SoCs make bespoke systems possible and enable the simple adaptation of the most diverse image sensors via standard cameras and numerous standard interfaces such as GigE Vision, USB3 Vision or MIPI. Through the integration of powerful hardware such as FPGAs, GPUs or DSPs, they make local pre-processing and data reduction available where necessary. In addition, standard-compliant image
distribution for further processing and standard-compliant machine communication via OPC UA are possible. This kind of ARM-based system offers
further advantages under Linux with the use of the right software environment, such as source-code compatibility with PC systems, free programmability via C/C++ and access to image processing libraries with optimised algorithms. These systems are also characterised by compact designs, simple integration and low power consumption. Since SoCs require only low initial investment and system costs, in addition to which duplication is possible, this technology has the potential to revolutionise imaging and machine vision.
SELECTING THE IDEAL SYSTEM The world of automation is becoming increasingly complex. Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT) and its extension, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Cloud computing, distributed computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and many other technologies are all innovative developments that present users and developers of vision systems with big challenges in the selection of the ideal system for their respective application. As one of Europe’s leading machine
vision technology providers, Stemmer Imaging has significant experience with all the technologies described and can help advise on the most suitable embedded solution for a given requirement. Yet for all of the recent advances in embedded vision systems, there will continue to be numerous applications where classic PC-based vision systems offer a better solution.
Stemmer Imaging T: 01252 780000
www.stemmer-imaging.co.uk
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