Embedded vision benefits and applications

While embedded vision systems cannot take the place of PC-based vision systems altogether, embedded systems do present many advantages for certain applications and provide benefits such as small size, low cost, and low energy consumption.

By AIA January 28, 2018

Embedded vision is an exciting new technology in the vision industry. It has the potential to open up new applications and shape the future of entire industries. It has potentially far-reaching implications, but what exactly is it?

Embedded vision refers to the integration of a camera and processing board. Historically, vision systems consisted of a camera and a PC, which were large and expensive. Over time, both cameras and PCs shrunk in size and price until they could be easily embedded in other systems at an affordable price.

Advantages of embedded vision systems

While embedded vision systems cannot take the place of PC-based vision systems altogether, embedded systems do present many advantages for certain applications. Integrators and manufacturers alike point to four main benefits of embedded vision systems:

  1. Small size
  2. Light weight
  3. Low cost
  4. Low energy consumption.

Not all applications are suitable for embedded vision systems, but the ones that are experience transformative results.

New applications and designs with embedded vision

One major way embedded vision systems differ from PC-based systems is they’re typically built for specific applications while PC-based systems are often intended for general image processing. This is important, as it often increases the complexity of initial integration.

However, this complexity is offset by a custom system perfectly suited for the application and for providing return on investment (ROI). Embedded vision systems are used in applications like self-driving cars, autonomous vehicles in agriculture, digital dermascopes that help specialists make more accurate diagnoses, among many other unique and cutting-edge applications.

Each application deploys embedded vision systems built specifically for that purpose. Even though each application uses a unique system, embedded vision as a whole is having a transformative impact on a number of industries.

Embedded vision opens up new possibilities and has the potential to disrupt entire industries. Over the next few years, there will be a rapid proliferation of embedded vision technology.

This article originally appeared on the AIA website. The AIA is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). A3 is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineeringcvavra@cfemedia.com.

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