Eyes for automatons: Faster, more accurate, and more consistent than humans can hope to be, machine vision systems are on their way to broad application

The authors describe how machine vision adds a high level of flexibility to automation. They point out that only a few years ago, as robots begin replacing hard-automation machines-designed to carry out a specific task, many designers argued that robots did not need highly advanced `senses´. Once the position and orientation of parts as well as the timing of manufacturing steps had been determined, the designers felt, a robot could be programmed simply to reach and grasp blindly. The various applications of machine vision systems are surveyed. The authors explain how images are resolved into picture elements, how processing sharpens image boundaries, and how an image is `understood´.