ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the fundamentals of machine vision. Machine vision system components with proper packaging, especially solid-state cameras, can be used in hostile environments, such as outer space or in a high-radiation hot cell. A three-dimensional color image function at a fixed time and with a given spectral illumination may be written as a three-dimensional vector in which each component is a function of space, time, and spectrum: Images may be formed and processed through a continuous spatial range using optical techniques. In the machine tool industry, applications for machine vision include sensing tool offset and breakage, verifying part placement and fixturing, and monitoring surface finish. The human visual system comprises three main organs: the eyes, the optic nerve bundle, and the visual cortex of the brain. This complex system processes a large amount of electrochemical data and performs its tasks in a highly efficient manner that cannot yet be duplicated by machine vision.
