A digital camera for machine vision

A prototype of a complete full-frame motion digital camera with grey levels, standard logic interface and software programmability, specifically designed for machine vision applications, is presented. The key to the high integration level of the camera is a monolithic “intelligent” sensor implemented in standard CMOS technology which offers the possibility of integrating signal-conditioning and interface functions on the same die as the sensor array. A highly parallel analogue-to-digital conversion scheme is used to achieve video rate performance with low power consumption. Applications of the camera in close coupling with the main processors of a number of robotic systems are outlined