About the difference between machine vision sensors and machine vision systems

Machine vision sensors are designed to be easy to install and deploy, allowing plant personnel to set up and configure them often without extensive external assistance. If imaging is a simple do/no judgment, then the company may need a vision sensor. Machine vision systems, on the other hand, require a lot of expertise and a significant investment of time and money to configure, install, and train. Often, companies rely on third-party integrators who have extensive expertise in vision systems. What are the differences between the two? Let's take a look:

1. Vision sensors are responsible for performing simple inspections, such as answering simple yes or no questions on the production line.

2. The vision system is responsible for completing some complex things, such as helping the robot arm weld parts in an automated factory.

3. Machine vision sensors can capture light waves from camera lenses and, together with digital signal processors (DSPs), convert the light data into pixels that generate digital images. The software analyzes the pixel pattern and displays key data about the photographed object. There are many tasks in automated factories that require simple, straightforward vision sensor data:

• Presence or absence – Tell if there is a part in the sensor's field of view? If the sensor answers yes, the machine vision software allows the part to be moved to the correct position in the production process.

• Inspection – Determine if a part is damaged or defective? If the sensor sees a defect, the part is removed from production.

•Optical Character Recognition (OCR) – Tell if a part has a specific word or text? Answering this question helps the automated system sort products by brand name or product description.