The Image, Image Formation and Image Sensors Image Processing and Representation Application Response Summary Overview of a Machine Vision Machine vision is the use of digital imaging for measurement, inspection, and control. Machine vision applications use the optical properties of a material to provide information that can be used to define material characteristics. A model of machine vision applications. The elements of a machine vision sensing system are represented in Figure 1. The primary elements are the scene, the illumination system, the image of the scene, a description of the scene formed from the image, and an application response to the description formed from the image.
Image formation is a process that converts the scene into a digital image for computer processing.
These elements form a model by which a machine vision application can be subdivided into smaller tasks. The illumination system is designed to consider the spectral quality of the illumination and the spatial distribution of illumination across the scene. The spectral properties of a biological material can be used to identify regions where the material exhibits a unique electromagnetic responses. The Illumination system provides electromagnetic radiation to excite the image sensor to form an image. Configuring the elements of a machine vision application requires an understanding of the electromagnetic response of the biological material, spectral characteristics of illumination sources, and spectral sensitivities of machine vision sensors.