Recent advancements in High Resolution Industrial Camera technology

Recent advances in high resolution industrial camera technology have included machine vision applications, automatic digital image analysis, 3D measurement capabilities and advanced hybrid sensor systems for unmanned autonomous vehicles. The arrival of the digital transformation era and increasing consumer demand have contributed to the speed in which these developments have taken place. In the following paragraphs we look at some of the key product features being made available to consumers in the high- resolution industrial camera market in the 21st century.

Machine Vision Industrial Cameras
Machine vision is the automatic use of cameras to inspect objects or elements in an industrial or manufacturing environment. Machine Vision cameras have begun to replace human workers in factories, as the repetitive tasks carried out are more suited to machine-controlled abilities. The data generated by the machine vision cameras is often used to subsequently control an industrial or manufacturing process such as an assembly line in a factory. Commonly, industrial products are required to be mass produced according to exact measurements and each product may be almost identical to the next. Machine vision cameras can measure the size, color, volume, and dimensions of a product created on an assembly line for example, making sure they are matched to the programmed version. Machine vision cameras are often involved in:
Measuring product quality (Quality Assurance)
Calibration of industrial equipment
Real-time production line process control
Counting, numbering and sorting of production line products

Automated Digital Image Analysis
Digital image analysis is related to machine learning but may be used also in scientific microscopic applications. Automated digital image analysis in a laboratory setting may be used to extract qualitative information about an image generated from a microscope. These digital cameras are connected to a chip in the camera sensor that has photosensitive elements (pixel elements). Each of the pixel elements can detect the flow of photons and electrons. The number of photons and electrons is stored in the camera and at a certain point in time this number is converted to a digital number in the computer. This kind of digital image analysis is useful as digital versions of microscopic images can often be more informative scientifically that original versions available to the naked eye.
In summary, the pharmaceutical industry has benefited considerably from the automation of biological specimen analysis, as this capability has enabled large-scale specimen analysis which was previously time consuming and required expensive resources.
High Resolution 3D Cameras
High Resolution 3D cameras are being used today for 3D mapping and surveying applications in the geospatial industry and in additional industrial settings such as close-range photogrammetry scanning and 3D object scanning for reverse engineering. Full frame ultra-high resolution machine vision 3D cameras can capture the finest details due to their advanced lens capabilities and capture rates. 3D scanning applications can be used in industrial design of equipment, concept generation, aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, building and construction applications, quality control testing, measurement and data extraction and analysis, object integration and more.
Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles: Hybrid Sensors
Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) can enter otherwise dangerous areas without a human being required to operate them. As their names suggests, these vehicles are unmanned and due to advanced hybrid sensors, they can sense their environment and navigate independently. These vehicles can also be controlled remotely by trained professionals. Hybrid sensor technology combines data by creating a “hybrid” of data from multiple sensors and global numerical models of a structure. Their use allows for more accurate autonomous and sensing capabilities.
What are some applications of unmanned autonomous vehicle technology?
Delivery drones are used to transport food, medical supplies, postal packages, and other goods.
Micro aerial vehicles are autonomous and can be used for commercial, governmental and military purposes.
Unmanned surface vehicles are boats that can operate autonomously on the water. These can be used in oceanography and hydrographic surveying or mine-hunting in military applications.
Robotic space flight involves sending unmanned vehicles such as comet and asteroid probes into space for aerospace research and investigations.
The examples outlined in this article are only the tip of the iceberg in the vast array of applications HR cameras can be used for. To choose the specific camera required for your needs, we recommend contacting a high resolution industrial camera expert.