Embedded vision for manufacturing: The benefits of choosing smart cameras
Manufacturers who choose embedded vision for their application will find, in most cases, that the process for setting up the camera is simpler than setting up a traditional pc-based system.
Embedded vision is a term that means slightly different things to different people. When it comes to manufacturers using machine vision for automation and other applications, embedded vision generally refers to smart cameras or smart systems. A smart camera or embedded vision system is a device that is both a camera and a computer. In embedded vision, all the processing of images happens on the camera. In traditional PC-based vision systems, a “dumb” camera sends images to a PC, and the PC processes and analyzes the images. Embedded vision trades the complexity and flexibility of a PC-based system for simplicity and compactness, and these traits make it a very useful technology for a growing list of manufacturing applications that involve inspection, sorting or picking.
The use of embedded vision continues to grow as the technology advances. For many applications, embedded vision systems are faster to set up, easier to program, and easier to replace if they fail. Depending on the application, a smart camera can cost less than a PC-based system. Embedded vision systems also have the ability to handle some harsh conditions better than traditional machine vision systems. Because of all these benefits, manufacturers are choosing smart cameras for their applications more than ever before.