If something exists that really has the ability to multitask, then it would be a machine vision system: they inspect, guide machines, control sequences, identify component parts, read codes and deliver valuable data for optimizing production. And this all can be carried out at nearly the same time.
For several years now—or has it been a decade already?—the application areas for image processing systems have spread enormously. On the one hand industrial cameras, e.g. smart cameras, have become faster, more robust and, what’s more, their resolution has increased. Also 3D sensors have improved and developed, so that they have outgrown their childhood diseases. In addition, machine vision software is also developing steadily. A few years ago only engineers with programming knowledge could create inspection programs. Whereas now even users without programming skills can put together inspection programs for their application with software that is easy-to-handle. Due to the drag-and-drop functions or other intuitively self-explanatory software functions, simple components can be put together for a complex total flow.